please. the BIG XII pays way more for its players than the SEC does. Now if you consider the fact that the SEC pays appropriately for its outstanding coaches which then in turn attract the best football players around the country then sure...if you wanna stretch it. and as for academic graduation rate? i can't speak for the rest of the SEC, but I know Auburn has one of the highest athletic graduation rates in the country... while I support the SEC to the fullest, Auburn is the only teams where I care whether the atheletes graduate or not...