Quote:
Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla
Seat of power: How the SEC came to rule college football
POWER SOURCE NO. 6: A GREAT MIGRATION
One factor in the SEC's rise has nothing to do with football.
In 1980, the nine states that comprise the Big Ten footprint (including Nebraska) had a cumulative population of 62.1 million. The SEC's nine states totaled 39.5 million.
Since then, Southern cities, especially in Florida and Georgia, have flourished. Northern cities, especially in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, have stagnated.
The past 30 years, Big Ten states have grown by 12 percent. SEC states have grown by 49 percent. The Big Ten's population advantage of 23 million is now only 10 million.
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Great article, but this data is inaccurate. When including the states of Texas and Missouri, the SEC actually has a larger population footprint than any other conference in the country.
It is pretty obvious that the SEC is going to continue to be the dominant conference going forward. Too much money, talent, and passion for football.