re: Offseason Thread: Rank the SEC college towns

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1. University to City (how important is the Univ to the city it resides) - Athens was built around the University of Georgia and named after the Greek city as a center of learning and creativity. 10

2. Campus Proximity (is it central to the city)- It makes up the heart of the city. 10

3. Proximity to Downtown or Bars (Self explanatory) - The famed UGA Arch is literally across Broad street from all the UGA bars. 10

4. Proximity to Sports venues (yep) - All sports venues are on campus. Sanford Stadium is built into a natural valley in almost the geographic center of campus. 10

5. Drinking Laws (how restrictive or lax are they...10 is lax) - No open container downtown, but this is easily worked around if you just pour it into a solo cup. 9

6. Campus Architecture (is it pretty to look at) - Yes. And it's only getting prettier as all of the old 70's style buildings are demoed and replaced with newer, more classic style architecture. 8

7. Gameday Experience (Grove for Ole Miss, etc.) - Athens gameday is probably Top 5 in conference. 8.5

8. Downtown/Bar District (points off for distance between) - #1. Easily. 10

9. Eyesores near campus (10 means none, 1 means ghetto is near) - Some housing projects sit off campus, but they're not a total eye sore. Honestly not much about Athens looks bad. 8.5

10. Misc (things not listed...traditions etc.) - We are the kings of college music. 10

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1. University to City (how important is the Univ to the city it resides) - The city of Tuscaloosa was once the state capital, but UA is the primary reason Tuscaloosa isn't another Black Belt small town. This is definitely a 10.

2. Campus Proximity (is it central to the city)- The Alabama campus is in the heart of the city. This is a 10 as well.

3. Proximity to Downtown or Bars (Self explanatory) - This is where UA could be better. The Strip has lost its luster the last few year as a result of leases being ended for tenants. But this has led to a revitalization of Downtown. I'll give this a 7.

4. Proximity to Sports venues (yep) - All sports venues are on campus. Though it wouldn't be bad if they were all centrally located on campus. I'll give this a 7.

5. Drinking Laws (how restrictive or lax are they...10 is lax) - Open containers are fine on campus. The bar hours are a lot better than most. A solid 8 here.

6. Campus Architecture (is it pretty to look at) - Alabama is among the most picturesque campuses in the country. The Greek revival architecture is the predominant, and really only, theme. It's a 10.

7. Gameday Experience (Grove for Ole Miss, etc.) - Tuscaloosa is without a doubt a top five experience in the SEC. The Quad is very underrated.

8. Downtown/Bar District (points off for distance between) - This is improving and will move up the list every offseason this thread is done. So much is coming, or recently added, to Downtown. But for now, I'll give it a 7.

9. Eyesores near campus (10 means none, 1 means ghetto is near) - This is where everyone visiting gets hung up on Tuscaloosa. The major corridors into the city are routed through some unfortunate areas. Then central city and midtown are great. But the west and south sides are eyesores. They alone give this a 6.

10. Misc (things not listed...traditions etc.) - It's a typical college town. Not many reasons visit outside of
the University, bars, and athletics. There's a growing music scene, and several outdoor ventures to choose from. A decent 7 here IMO.

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