The SEC will always claim it's the best college athletics conference, especially in college football. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has a unique perspective on the situation having formerly coached the Arkansas Razorbacks from 2006-17. #Illini head coach Bret Bielema, in his opening statement at Big Ten Football Media Days, says the SEC 'kind of wants to live in 2005 forever. "Anything to pre-date [NIL and the transfer portal] is a different time in college football ... it's a different world [now]." The success and failures of SEC teams is almost as serious as life or death to the fans.