Auburn angles for move to SEC East
DESTIN — Florida and Auburn first played each other in football in 1912.
The two schools met every year from 1927 to 2002, other than during World War II.
These days, the Gators and the Tigers rarely cross paths on the gridiron at all. Their last meeting was in 2011 and the next is in 2019 — and after that in 2024.
One of the South’s biggest rivalries could resume regularly if Auburn athletic director gets his wish and his school moves to the SEC East. Missouri would move to the West Division.
“It makes more sense for Auburn from the standpoint of the demographics,” Jacobs said Wednesday at the SEC spring meetings. “The majority of our students that come to Auburn are from right here in the Southeast. A lot of them coming to our school say, ‘I’m from Tennessee; why aren’t you playing the University of Tennessee?’ ‘I’m from Florida; why aren’t you playing the University of Florida?’ ”
The move likely is wishful thinking. SEC commissioner
said there are no discussions about Auburn and Missouri changing divisions.
“It’s not an agenda item; it hasn’t been an agenda item,” Sankey said. “I don’t want to hypothesize.”
But Jacobs said he has chatted with Sankey “informally” in Destin.
“More this week than ever have,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs, an Auburn alum and AD since 2004, said Auburn-to-the-East was discussed in the early 1990s and again in 2011 when the SEC added Texas A&M and Missouri.
Jacobs said he has not discussed I the possible move with fellow athletic directors, but he would not expect much opposition.
“We think about what fills up our stadium,” he said. “Missouri playing Florida; does it help fill up a Florida stadium?”
Based in Columbia, Missouri is the northwesternmost school in the 14-team SEC and located 1,010 miles from Gainesville.
Some wonder whether Jacobs sees an opportunity to escape the toughest division in college football. The SEC West has won nine consecutive SEC title games, including five by Alabama and one by Auburn.
Jacobs countered he would want to maintain the annual game with Alabama. He also noted the dominance of divisions tends to be cyclical.
“It depends on when you do that,” he said. “Florida won two national championships. You can’t schedule based on where you think the easier piece is going to be because you’ll end up jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.”
STATE COLLEGE FOOTBALL REPORT
retired as UF athletic director with 27 national titles during his 25 years at the school.
just won his first last week, courtesy of the women’s tennis team.
“It was actually my first ever working at any program on any level,” he said. “It was pretty cool, pretty remarkable.”
It certainly will not be the 47-year-old’s last national title, but he also knows Foley’s track record will be nearly impossible to match.
“Jeremy put a pretty tall mountain out there,” Stricklin said. “I don’t know if I’m going to make it 25 years. It’s remarkable what he’s done and hopefully we can continue that legacy.”
So much for a relaxing week on Florida’s Panhandle. Texas A&M’s
officially was put on the hot seat Tuesday.
Aggies second-year director said on the
Show that Sumlin better produce in 2017 or else.
“Coach Sumlin knows he has to win,” Woodward said. “He has to win this year. He has to do better than he has done in the past.”
Sumlin has posted three consecutive 8-5 seasons and has not finished the season ranked since 2013 when
was quarterback. Sumlin has a .693 winning percentage at A&M, but he has not had a big year since Manziel’s Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2012. Since coming in second in the SEC West in 2012, the Aggies have finished no higher than fourth. athletic