“Roll Tide … Not Quite“

I met Greg Howell, Dixie’s Owner, in 2012 and by 2013 I became a contractor working as Dixie’s Business Development “guy”. During those pre-Covid years, when time allowed, Greg and I visited present and future customers. Upon learning that Greg was from Tuscaloosa, every conversation usually began with the customer greeting Greg with the words “Roll Tide” and Greg responding with his love for Auburn, “War Eagle”! And so, the conversation begins around college football.

As a Yankee from New Jersey, the only college football I watched was Notre Dame. I was totally unprepared to enter discussions  about Tigers, Crimson Tide, Bulldogs, Gamecocks and Gators. It had been Giants, Jets, Packers, Eagles and Patriots in discussion my whole life. Presently, after living in SC for the last 4 ½ years, I now recognize the former and not the latter. (However, Greg still insists I’m a Yankee!)

Living in the South, I have learned that Saturdays in the Fall far outweigh Sunday’s importance. The football talk in the South generally focuses on the SEC, the Southeastern Conference. Of all college football conferences, the SEC has a long history of on-field dominance, intense fan culture, and significant financial power. A combination of these factors creates a powerhouse league that heavily influences national narratives, recruiting, and the sport’s overall business landscape.

Those of us who follow college football (now including yours truly), recognize that the SEC has probably established the most successful conference. Recent history of winning national titles, including a run of seven straight BCS championships from 2006 to 2012, support that assertion. Since the start of the College Football Playoff (CFP) era, the conference has won six out of 10 championships, producing a high number of NFL draft picks each year. Playing in the SEC gives recruits a clear path to professional careers, making it a powerful tool for attracting top talent.

As we wrote last November 26^th, within the SEC is a yearly matchup between Greg’s Auburn Tiger’s and Alabama’s Crimson Tide, titled The Iron Bowl, this year being played on Saturday, November 29^th at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. In addition to the Iron Bowl, other classic SEC matchups include …

• The Cocktail Party Bowl: Georgia vs. Florida
• LSU vs. Alabama
• Tennessee vs. Florida, and
• Auburn vs. Georgia (Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry)

Hopefully, sometime this Fall, you will be speaking with Greg, David, Mike or one of our other project managers. Regardless of preference … War Eagle, Roll Tide or Go Gators … Dixie Mechanical – like the SEC – has an unmatched record of captivating our customer’s satisfaction, delivering quality product, finishing on time with a winning game plan.