Today’s schedule
@11:30 - SEC Commissioner Mike Slive opens with his annual address.
@ Noon: Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, whose Tigers matched the biggest one-season turnaround in college football during his debut, will be the first coach to address the media.
@ 2:30 p.m. - Florida head coach Will Muschamp will address the media.
@ 4 p.m. - Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason addresses the media
The SEC issued about 1,100 credentials for the event in suburban Birmingham. SEC fans can watch the events streamed live at ESPN3.com/WatchESPN orSECSports.com, starting at 11 a.m.
College football games are still almost seven weeks away. Preseason practices don’t start until the end of the month. But the talking begins in earnest today.
The SEC’s annual Media Days – now expanded from three days to four – starts this afternoon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham-Wynfrey Hotel.
Leading off will be SEC commissioner Mike Slive’s annual state-of-the-SEC address. It should be interesting, given the legal challenges to college athletics’ “amateurism” model in courtrooms around the country and the push by the SEC and other power conferences for autonomy from the NCAA to set some of their own rules.
Following Slive's address, defending SEC champion Auburn will be the first team to meet the media. Auburn scratched quarterback Nick Marshall from its Media Days contingent after he received a citation last week for marijuana possession. Also on today's schedule: Florida and Vanderbilt.
South Carolina, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Tennessee take their turns on stage Tuesday, followed by Missouri, LSU and Arkansas on Wednesday. The event concludes Thursday with Georgia, Ole Miss, Alabama and Kentucky scheduled.
Each team will bring their head coach and three players. Georgia players will be tailback Todd Gurley, wide receiver Chris Conley and linebacker Ramik Wilson.
Some off-the-field issues also will get much attention during the event. In addition to Slive’s opening address, there will be sessions later in the week on the new SEC Network, the new College Football Playoff and the new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
Please check back for frequent updates from Hoover.
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