By: Eric SanInocencio
Twitter: @EricSan
SEC Digital Network
Destin, Fla. – When you check in Monday afternoon, it looks like just another sunny Florida resort. With the Memorial Day crowds starting their trek home, the walkways are eerily quiet. Nothing looks out of the ordinary.
But, once the Monday sun sets over the Sandestin Hilton, the “storm” begins to brew. Over the course of the next four days, the Southeastern Conference will gather in this very property, as the league’s Spring Meetings kickoff Tuesday morning.
The words discussed in these halls will shape many facets of league athletics and how the sports we love are monitored. Listed among the “guests” this week at the Hilton are some of the biggest names in college athletics. Football coaches, athletic directors and league personnel will all convene, helping to shape the future of the SEC.
It is pretty cool to watch.
I’ll be one of the many “media” here in attendance, as the SEC Digital Network will be observing the scene here in Destin. We will produce a live stream show on Tuesday at 10:30 am CT, as we talk to SEC coaches and conference officials so they can explain what happens here. We will also have daily updates, behind the scenes access and reports from the many national writers who plan to call the Hilton home this week. This is all in an attempt to paint the picture of SEC Spring Meetings.
However, that isn’t an easy task. To describe the atmosphere in Destin is difficult, due in part to the uniqueness of who participates. While you might perhaps see one or even two SEC “big names” in the same place on occasion, you don’t ever see 50 of them…all together.
Destin is about both work and play, with the serious nature of meetings also giving way to the leisure time of family. It is not uncommon to see coaches mingling poolside, or sharing a meal with their loved ones after their conference room stints are over. This event also puts a bow on a historic SEC year, celebrating all the game victories and success stories since the last time everyone met.
This particular gathering is all the more intriguing, as Destin will serve as an introduction to the SEC’s two newest additions. Administrators from both Missouri and Texas A&M will be on hand, getting a glimpse of the SEC’s operation and learning the ropes of their new league.
Just over a month remains before the Tigers and Aggies are officially part of the SEC family, but here in Destin they will already be welcomed with open arms.
But right now that isn’t the case. The Hilton lobby remains empty, the Destin waterfront free from traffic. What will soon be the busiest place on the Emerald Coast is still a quiet getaway for Memorial Day Weekend.
Starting tomorrow, that all changes. SEC Spring Meetings are here.