HOOVER, Ala. - The superstar quarterback and the reigning national championship team desperately seeking one — any reasonable facsimile will do, really — share the spotlight to start SEC media days.

New SEC West coaching rivals Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino will also take their turns at the podium — on different days.

The three-day event kicks off Wednesday with some 700 reporters descending on suburban Birmingham along with the 12 head coaches and two players from each team. The last two national champions are up on Day 1.

Florida's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow steps to the auditorium's podium Wednesday like the coaches, while the rest of the players will be seated at tables in adjoining rooms for their sessions at the Wynfrey Hotel. Later comes LSU's Les Miles, who is trying to defend a national title while seeking a No. 1 quarterback after booting presumed starter Ryan Perrilloux from the team.

The top candidates to replace starter Matt Flynn are Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch and redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee.

Alabama's Nick Saban will have to take a back seat among SEC Western Division coaches after hogging much of the attention last summer before his Crimson Tide debut. The two new high-profile "rookie" coaches are Mississippi's Nutt and his successor at Arkansas, Petrino, who returned to the division following his not-quite-one-full-season cameo with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.

Nutt appears Thursday and Petrino Friday, but the new Razorbacks' coach does take the stage the same day as his former boss at Auburn, Tommy Tuberville. Auburn brass made a clandestine run at Petrino two days before the Iron Bowl in 2003 when Tuberville was briefly on the hot seat.

UT coach Phillip Fulmer meets the media on Thursday.

Among the top players appearing besides Tebow are LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson, Auburn defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks and Tennessee running back Arian Foster. Tebow and Mississippi State's Wesley Carroll are the only quarterbacks making the trip.

Interview Schedule for Wednesday

FLORIDA

(1:10 - 3:10 pm)

Urban Meyer

QB Tim Tebow

OT Phil Trautwein

MISSISSIPPI STATE

(1:10 - 3:10 pm)

Sylvester Croom

QB Wesley Carroll

LB Jamar Chaney

LSU

(3:10 - 5:10 pm)

Les Miles

C Brett Helms

DE Tyson Jackson

VANDERBILT

(3:10 - 5:10 pm)

Bobby Johnson

S Reshard Langford

WR George Smith

Interview Schedule for Thursday

ALABAMA

(8:40 - 10:40 am)

Nick Saban

OL Antoine Caldwell

S Rashad Johnson

GEORGIA

(8:40 - 10:40 am)

Mark Richt

WR M. Massaquoi

DT Jeff Owens

OLE MISS

(10:40 am - 12:30 pm)

Houston Nutt

DT Peria Jerry

OT Michael Oher

TENNESSEE

(10:40 am - 12:30 pm)

Phillip Fulmer

RB Arian Foster

DE Robert Ayers

Interview Schedule for Friday

AUBURN

(8:40 - 10:40 am)

Tommy Tuberville

C Jason Bosley

DE Sen'derrick Marks

KENTUCKY

(8:40 - 10:40 am)

Rich Brooks

DE Jeremy Jarmon

WR Dicky Lyons, Jr.

ARKANSAS

(10:40 am - 12:30 pm)

Bobby Petrino

LB Elston Forte

C Jonathan Luigs

SOUTH CAROLINA

(10:40 am - 12:30 pm)

Steve Spurrier

LB Jasper Brinkley

WR Kenny McKinley

Back to Top

© 2008, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.