re: Origination of "SEC" chant?

I'm not sure when it originated but I played football and track in 82 and we chanted it back then. We use to say... "SEC" - "Speed Equals Champions" baby in practice.

I remember our woman's swim team then our mens team won national titles and we were chanting SEC back then. Same with the gymnastics team. We beat USC Trojans at Florida field and people were chanting SEC back then as well.

I was always told that the chant started because SEC schools were disrespected by biased East coast and west coast media for decades. Most of the awards, including the Heisman would often go to northern players and the south was out of most national conversations, relegated to a regional audience, especially on TV.

Back in 1962, the Gators played Penn State in the Gator bowl where PSU and the national media said that UF didn't even deserve to be on the same field with them. The Gators actually wore Rebel flags on their helmets as a "F" you to the northern media and beat the hell out of the Nittany Lions. All the talk later was how the Gators represented the SEC well. That was a huge conference win that sent echoes nationally.