Our team performs better under the lights. The home crowd’s more lively. Night games are fun.

All SEC fans assume the same thing — your team has a higher winning percentage when games kick-off as the sun goes down.

I’ve tried explaining this strange phenomena to co-workers here at SDS, but most of them aren’t buying it. So, like any writer would, I attempted to break through with statistical referencing, looking back at the last decade of SEC football games and presenting the facts.

After finishing up the exhausting research, nine of the SEC’s 14 teams have posted a better winning percentage at night — compared to an afternoon kickoff — since 2005 (so the hypothesis is correct).

Furthermore, not all schedules are created equal. LSU has played at night 43 more times than Georgia over the last decade, due in large part to TV broadcast selections and the fact nearly all of the Tigers’ home games during the Les Miles era kick-off in the evening.

Alabama holds the SEC’s highest home winning percentage at night at a sparkling 0.928. The Crimson Tide have won 26 out of 28 evening contests at Bryant-Denny since 2005.

SEC’s top winning percentages in night games since 2005

  • LSU .865 (71 wins, 11 losses)
  • Alabama .865 (45 wins, 7 losses)
  • Georgia .743 (29 wins, 10 losses)
  • Mizzou .680 (34 wins, 16 losses)
  • Texas A&M .677 (42 wins, 20 losses)

SEC’s top winning percentages in night home games since 2005

  • Alabama .928 (26-2)
  • LSU .900 (45-4)
  • Mizzou .814 (22-5)
  • Auburn .794 (27-7)
  • Arkansas .756 (28-9)
  • South Carolina .750 (30-10)
  • Texas A&M .750 (24-8)
  • Georgia .692 (9-4)

Here’s the raw team-by-team data …

Alabama Crimson Tide (45-7 at night; .865)

  • Home: 26-2
  • Away: 12-2
  • Neutral: 7-3
  • OVERALL: 107-26 (.765 in afternoon games)

Arkansas Razorbacks (33-16 at night; .673)

  • Home: 28-9
  • Away: 3-6
  • Neutral: 2-1
  • OVERALL: 70-56 (.480 in afternoon games)

Auburn Tigers (38-19 at night; .667)

  • Home: 27-7
  • Away: 8-11
  • Neutral: 3-2
  • OVERALL: 87-42 (.680 in afternoon games)

Florida Gators (31-15 at night; .673)

  • Home: 17-8
  • Away: 10-6
  • Neutral: 4-1
  • OVERALL: 94-36 (.750 in afternoon games)

Georgia Bulldogs (29-10 at night; .743)

  • Home: 9-4
  • Away: 16-4
  • Neutral: 4-2
  • OVERALL: 94-38 (.698 in afternoon games)

Kentucky Wildcats (25-31 at night; .446)

  • Home: 21-15
  • Away: 3-15
  • Neutral: 1-1
  • OVERALL: 53-71 (.411 in afternoon games)

LSU Tigers (71-11 at night; .865)

  • Home: 45-5
  • Away: 17-4
  • Neutral: 9-2
  • OVERALL: 103-29 (.640 in afternoon games)

Mississippi Rebels (22-26 at night; .458)

  • Home: 16-13
  • Away: 4-13
  • Neutral: 2-0
  • OVERALL: 58-66 (.473 in afternoon games)

Mississippi State Bulldogs (34-26 at night; .566)

  • Home: 23-14
  • Away: 10-11
  • Neutral: 1-1
  • OVERALL: 64-60 (.468 in afternoon games)

Missouri Tigers (34-16 at night; .680)

  • Home: 22-5
  • Away: 8-8
  • Neutral: 4-3
  • OVERALL: 91-41 (.695 in afternoon games)

South Carolina Gamecocks (40-28 at night; .588)

  • Home: 30-10
  • Away: 10-17
  • Neutral: 0-1
  • OVERALL: 84-45 (.721 in afternoon games)

Tennessee Vols (28-25 at night; .528)

  • Home: 18-13
  • Away: 9-10
  • Neutral: 1-2
  • OVERALL: 64-61 (.500 in afternoon games)

Texas A&M Aggies (42-20 at night; .677)

  • Home: 24-8
  • Away: 13-11
  • Neutral: 5-1
  • OVERALL: 75-52 (.507 in afternoon games)

Vanderbilt Commodores (26-35 at night; .426)

  • Home: 19-19
  • Away: 7-16
  • Neutral: N/A
  • OVERALL: 52-71 (.419 in afternoon games)