On Dec. 8-11, 1932, representatives from 13 Southern universities met in Knoxville with one goal: Form the Southeastern Conference. This historic meeting set the stage for one of the most iconic and passionate college sports leagues in the country.

Who was there?

Led by Dr. Frank L. McVey from Kentucky, the first 13 members were: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt.

A view of Gay Street in Knoxville 1910. Signs reading "SB Waggoner Piano Co" and "SMOKE" can be read. — If you look closely, you can see the sign for the sign for the Imperial Hotel — which would later become the Farragut. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Where did they meet?

In 1934, it was known as Hotel Farragut. Nowadays you may recognize the South Gay Street hotel as a Hyatt.

What was the meeting like?

We weren't there, but we can picture it. It's the 1930s during the annual Southern Conference banquet. Athletic directors and university presidents arrive in their Ford Model As. They enter the smoky conference room, hang up their fedoras, and hunker down over cigars to hash it out.

It's a tall order: Break off from the 23-member Southern Conference to create a smaller league with new rules and philosophies. But they pulled it off. Today, the SEC is a total powerhouse, and it boasts some of the most valuable teams in college sports.