re: Can someone explain how exactly SEC football was so much cooler 30 years ago?

It's the little things. Teams are more professional, more creative, and the talent is more polished now, but that's not what makes college football special.

Games were cheaper to attend.

Atmosphere was more rabid.

You could park anywhere on campus. You found your tailgate spot earlier in the week, staked it off, and hoped no one stole it. - or you just camped out all week and defended your turf.

The ESPN crew was top notch.

You didn't have instant access to info and highlights of your team's performance, so you were excited when you got an ESPN mention, or your score scrolled along the bottom of the broadcast.

Camera angles were bad, so you spent all week/year arguing with your rival about whether he was in bounds or out of bounds.

Players spent 4 years on your campus, so, as a student, you got to know them and you shared experiences. You rooted harder for them to succeed.

Students paid about 7 or 8 bucks a game - how is that not awesome?

You could sneak into practice whenever you wanted, watch it all afternoon, and no one kicked you out.

You could wander around the stadium and AD complex and never get stopped.