Why is the SEC the most Powerful and getting more Powerful?

I've been giving this a lot of thought. If you draw comparisons of how Texas conducts itself and how that would never fly in the SEC and how that translates to success in the SEC, I wonder how the the SEC became who it is today? Has the SEC always set out to give all it's members an equal chance at success with commitments to equal revenue sharing? Or has NCAA sanctions kept Alabama from ruling the roost like Texas? I see where USC's dominance is now over do to their own sanctions. Mike Slive understands the importance of equal revenue sharing and how it helps schools like Vandy, South Carolina and Arkansas compete. Gosh, just think where those schools would be if they did not receive those extra dollars. That is what Texas is cheering about this morning, more dominance and money for them even though each Big 12-2 school is getting more money. Texas sees no threat to their dominance diminishing anytime soon unless of course they get serious NCAA sanctions placed on them. We all know if Oklahoma and Texas A&M had bolted to the SEC it would have hurt the existence of the Big 12-2 and we know Texas did not mind leaving other schools behind to get more money.

So do we understand why the SEC is strongest and getting stronger? Do we embrace these ideals and want the smaller schools to improve each year? It still comes down to great coaching to win a championship, but it also takes facilities to out recruit other teams and conferences. I don't see any evidence that Texas will allow any school in their state or conference to threaten their own superiority. That type of behavior cannot and will not prevail in the SEC.

Here are some key issues that place the SEC head and shoulders above all other College Football Conferences:

1) Having 2 conferences delivers two Top Dogs each year instead of just one. The conference championship delivers a berth in the BCSCG each year now and close to landing both SEC Division Champs in the BCSCG.

2) Equal revenue sharing puts the pressure on all schools to use that money wisely to improve facilities and all athletic programs.

3) The Fear of NCAA Sanctions keeps cheating at a minimum. The Reggie Bush scandal exposes how much pressure premier athletes are under to receive gifts and money. It is easy for them to justify taking it when they see UT raking in Millions by threatening to split to the Pac 10. So why shouldn't they be able to get theirs???

It's interesting watching other conferences trying to catch up and past the SEC. Understanding our history, who we are and how we got here is important to keep our place at the top.

What other reasons do you think contribute to the success of the SEC?

ALL ADDITIONAL REASONS POSTED IN THIS THREAD:

1) recruiting in the SEC states (other than UT and arky) is pretty good or better - also it's a lot easier to recruit kids to play in the south than in the north because of weather
2) the schools have passionate fan bases and invest in the product with the stadiums and facilities
3) they have been successful in hiring some of the best coaches in college