The biggest preseason even in college football is on the move.
To the surprise of very few, the SEC announced on Friday that the league’s annual football media days will be July 16-19 in 2018 and will depart the cozy confines of Hoover, Ala. for the College Football Hall of Fame building in Atlanta.
“SEC Football Media Days is a signature event for our conference and we are pleased the city of Atlanta will host this kickoff to the 2018 college football season,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “SEC Football Media Days is now added to Atlanta’s inventory of great events, which includes the annual SEC Football Championship Game and this season’s College Football Playoff Championship Game. We are looking forward to building an exciting week next July to feature our student-athletes and coaches.”
The event, which has grown to well over 1,000 credentialed media members over the years, was a mainstay at the Wynfrey Hotel not far from the conference’s headquarters in Birmingham. Talk of moving Media Days (more like Media Week, to be honest) surfaced in the summer and Atlanta was naturally one of the frontrunners to host the event given the league’s association with the city and how easy to get to it is from many of the member schools.
The Omni Atlanta Hotel, which is connected to the Hall of Fame building, will also be involved by hosting other media activities like radio interviews and television suites. If you’re interested in what the setup might look for, the Hall of Fame is set to host the annual College Football Awards Show next week.