Roy Kramer gives rare insight into the formation of the first SEC Championship Game
By Adam Spencer
Published:
As pregame preparations are being made for today’s 25th SEC Championship Game, former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer is on hand with ex-Alabama coach Gene Stallings and legendary Florida coach Steve Spurrier.
As the Gators and Crimson Tide prepare to face each other for the ninth time in the conference title game, Kramer offered some insight into the game and the formations of division in the SEC.
First and foremost, Kramer said the divisional system was implemented in order to prevent two of the conference’s powerhouse programs from playing in back-to-back weeks:
Kramer mentions when divisions were created, Alabama and Auburn were placed together to prevent risk of them ever playing back to back weeks
— Chuck Dunlap ? (@SEC_Chuck) December 3, 2016
Following some initial resistance on the idea of a conference championship game, Kramer said Spurrier and Stallings, who coached against each other in the first SEC title bout, never questioned it again:
Roy Kramer says Spurrier and Stallings became two biggest supporters of SEC Championship Game after first game in 1992.
— Andy Olson (@ByAndrewOlson) December 3, 2016
When all was said and done in the first title game, which was held in Birmingham, Stallings’ Tide had defeated Spurrier’s Gators 28-21.
Now, the Head Ball Coach admits that the game probably changed college football for the better and put the SEC on the map as a powerhouse:
Spurrier admits that for good of SEC, college football, probably best that Alabama won first SECCG.
— Andy Olson (@ByAndrewOlson) December 3, 2016
This year is the last time the game will be held at the Georgia Dome, which will be replaced by Mercedes-Benz Stadium next year. However, Atlanta wasn’t a popular site for the game among some early media powers:
"Our good friend Mr. Finebaum was going to boycott us, he was going to never talk about the SEC again." Roy Kramer on picking Georgia Dome
— Andy Olson (@ByAndrewOlson) December 3, 2016
If Alabama defeats Florida today at 4 p.m. Eastern time on CBS, the Crimson Tide will match the Gators with seven league championships.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
