It Just Means More: The Cultural Bond Between the South and SEC Football

Author

Ryan Stinson, University of South Carolina - ColumbiaFollow

Date of Award

Fall 2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Department

School of Journalism and Mass Communications

Director of Thesis

Dr. Kevin Hull

Second Reader

Bradley Muller

Abstract

With the success of programs like Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech in the early 1900s, college football quickly became means of establishing Southern superiority over the northern U.S. Their success continued into the 20th and 21st centuries with the creation and rise of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). During and prior to the existence of the SEC, rivalries, traditions, and pageantry developed and thrived in communities across the southeast. These aspects created a unique environment that drew in fans of college football across the region. This resulted in a unique bond between fan, university, team, and community that has thrived within all facets of the region.

This thesis seeks to explore this bond and explain why it has flourished over the past several decades. The three podcast episodes of this thesis looks at the connections between history, sociology, psychology, and culture that uniquely combine to form the strong bond between fans and college football programs within the SEC.

First Page

1

Last Page

90

Recommended Citation

Stinson, Ryan, "It Just Means More: The Cultural Bond Between the South and SEC Football" (2025). Senior Theses. 825.
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/825

Rights

© 2025, Ryan Stinson