The calendar says April, and a line of showers arrives right on schedule – forcing Peter Burns and Chris Doering indoors for their morning sports talk show.
But as SEC This Morning kicks off across XM/Sirius radio and the SEC Network, there’s a hint of autumn in the air. That’s because the hosts are broadcasting from the Regions Tradition, the PGA TOUR Champions major held each year in Birmingham, Alabama.
It’s the first day of the tournament, which begins with the Drummond Company Celebrity Pro-Am.
It really is kind of the kickoff. Spring football has finally ended. Now, we see what baked in the spring. For the coaches, this is the last chance to take a moment to breathe before it all starts up again. Peter Burns
In this part of the country, the biggest celebrities stalk college football sidelines on Saturdays. That’s why some say the Tradition pro-am is the unofficial first step toward the next college football season. Burns, for one, doesn’t argue the point.
“It really is kind of the kickoff,” said the SEC Network veteran host. “Spring football has finally ended. Now, we see what baked in the spring. For the coaches, this is the last chance to take a moment to breathe before it all starts up again.”
And for a number of high-profile coaches, the Tradition marks a public re-emergence from campus. Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Auburn rival Alex Golesh are here. So, too, are Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Ole Miss’ Pete Golding, and Nick Saban – the former Alabama coaching legend now a staple on ESPN’s College GameDay.
Golesh, hired during the offseason, has already created a buzz back on the Plains. When he joins Burns and Doering for conversation on the set – a roundtable inside what’s normally the gift shop at Greystone – he says the things SEC football fans love to hear: “run the football, play good defense.”
After the show, Burns shares why he thinks Golesh can succeed at Auburn.
“He’s family oriented. He can talk Xs and Os,” Burns said. “But he’s also so cognizant of what Auburn needs in a coach and what Auburn means culturally.”
Other guests arrive for conversations with the hosts: Champions Tour golfer David Toms, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, and country music star Riley Green, an Alabama native.
Sixteen’s the magic number. It’s perfect symmetry. And there’s more margin for error for coaches. It just makes too much sense.” Chris Doering, a former gridiron star at the University of Florida
John Jordan, head of Retail at Regions, joins host Paul Finebaum on set at the Regions Tradition.
The discussion moves quickly – from potential SEC starting quarterbacks, to a brewing gambling scandal in another conference, to the ideal size of the College Football Playoff. It currently sits at 12 teams, but there are pushes to expand to 16 or even 24.
“Sixteen’s the magic number,” said Doering, a former gridiron star at the University of Florida. “It’s perfect symmetry. And there’s more margin for error for coaches. It just makes too much sense.”
Burns notes that critics have long warned an expanded playoff would diminish the regular season – then quickly dismantles the argument with what he’s seen firsthand.
“It’s actually made games more meaningful across the country,” Burns said, pointing to the high-stakes drama of November matchups that would have seemed meaningless just a few seasons ago.
For the behind-the-scenes crew that makes the show come off seamlessly, this is merely the start of a long day. They arrived before sunrise to set up, then pivoted from an open-air patio to an indoor set as heavy rain rolled in. They’ll still be here as night approaches after four hours of The Paul Finebaum Show – an annual afternoon feature at the Tradition where the parade of interviews continues.
Doering and Burns wear many hats with the SEC Network, from studio hosts to weekly and postgame analysis. They also debuted a new podcast last year called Regions Extra.
What makes it work? Genuine chemistry.
“That’s the interesting part,” Doering said. “Of all the different things we do, this show is the most unstructured. But it’s also three hours long, which is a challenge.
“I think it works because it’s a glimpse of our real life,” he added. “We hang out, we talk, we argue – just like people do in real life.”
The coaches and celebrities understand the mission of the tournament. And that’s to make life better for our communities.Paul Hodges, head of Regions Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing
They close the show with Paul Hodges, head of Regions Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing, who explains why the Tradition continues to invest so heavily in creating a celebrity pro-am that routinely draws large crowds.
“The coaches and celebrities understand the mission of the tournament,” Hodges said. “And that’s to make life better for our communities.”
As the sun comes out and the day at Greystone stretches on, the message lingers. Long before kickoffs, rankings, or rivalry weekends return, college football’s familiar voices are already back in the spotlight – reconnecting with fans, supporting the community and quietly signaling that the season, once again, isn’t that far away.