Everything Is Bigger In Texas, As The SEC Is Proving This Week At Media Days In Dallas To Kickoff 2024 Season

DALLAS-They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the SEC is looking to put on its biggest media days in quite some time to welcome Oklahoma and the Longhorns to the conference. 

The massive setup inside the ballroom of the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas should be a clear indication that the conference is playing up the additions of the two schools. Massive helmets, giant screens, banners that hang from the ceilings and a massive amount of tables setup for radio row have this year's SEC talking season taking a massive leap in terms of production. 

As I made my way around the hotel on Sunday afternoon, i couldn't help but notice how much bigger this feels compared to past events in Hoover, or Nashville. There really is no comparison to what the conference did with its media days in Atlanta at the College Football Hall of Fame, just from the allure of the atmosphere. But it's clear that commissioner Greg Sankey has decided to roll out the red carpet for not only the two teams, but the new wave of media members and talking heads joining the conference fun. 

SEC Media Days is ongoing at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Texas Via: Trey Wallace

Over the span of four days you will hear predictions, sometimes outlandish, comparisons and who's on the hot seat heading into the 2024 season. There is nothing off-limits at SEC media days, and that includes the questions coming for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Oklahoma's Brent Venables. I would imagine that there are not a lot of things that cannot shock those two coaches any longer, so a massive room of reporters is not going to cause some type of panic. 

But, if those two celebrations that took place on both campuses earlier this month weren't an indication of two new teams joining the conference, SEC media days will do the trick. 

SEC Media Days is ongoing at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Texas Via: Trey Wallace

We've Come A Long Way From 2021 Media Days With Texas, Oklahoma 

It's hard to think that just four years ago a report from the Houston Chronicle set-off a massive sense of hysteria inside that hotel in Hoover, Alabama. Sure, there were whispers about Texas and Oklahoma wanting out of the Big 12, but having the news break that both schools had reached out to the SEC about joining the conference was like a bolt of energy shooting though the ballroom where Greg Sankey was about to speak. 

Sure, the SEC knew that conference growth was going to happen in the future, but that report coming out during the conference kickoff seemed like strategic move from Texas A&M, who were not happy that the Longhorns would be joining the conference. And let's be honest, all it took was a little push and both schools from the Big 12 were going to jump. 

SEC Media Days is ongoing at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Texas Via: Trey Wallace

But the magnitude of the news was the start of a massive realignment in college athletics that is still going on to this day. I don't need to remind you of the chaos that occurred last year with the Big Ten and Big 12, or what is to come with the ACC over the next year or so. 

The landscape of college football started to tilt on that day in Hoover, when two teams had already begun the process of leaving for more money and stability. 

What To Expect This Week In Dallas At SEC Media Days

There will be a number of questions about which coach is sitting on a very hot seat as the 2024 season gets underway, and Billy Napier will lead that conversation. And once again, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart will be rightfully peppered with questions about the off-field incidents involving reckless driving that keep occurring within his team. 

Coaches will be guided to different tables along radio row, most likely answering the same question over and over again, but coming up with a different spin at every stop. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers will certainly be asked about his relationship with backup QB Arch Manning, while Steve Sarkisian will give the same answer when asked about what type of playing time we will see from his popular second-string gunslinger. 

Oh, and how could I forget the former Alabama head coach Nick Saban? Yes, it will be weird not seeing him take the podium and answer questions about the upcoming season for Alabama. But don't worry, the former Tide' coach will be in attendance working with ESPN and providing analysis of the SEC, and the ever-changing landscape of college football. 

SEC Media Days is ongoing at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Texas Via: Trey Wallace

So, while Kalen DeBoer takes the stage to preview his first season as the head coach at Alabama, his predecessor will be sitting behind him on a stage dissecting every word he says, as he also enters the new world of SEC media days. 

I can promise you there will be some quote or piece of news that comes out of this year's SEC Media Days, the only question is who it will concern. Oh, and you can expect Florida State and Clemson to be brought up this week, as we continue to discuss the future of college athletics.