Official Site of the Southeastern Conference

Every Monday morning, the "Melting Pot" will take a look at articles from the nation's writers about the happenings from the Southeastern Conference.

---  Wes Rucker and Dave Flessner of the Chattanooga Times Free Press tackle just how universities use sports for fundraising and attention.

"The University of Tennessee’s athletic program projects it will generate even more money than those ticket sales from donations to the operating budget for UT’s athletic program. UT expects to garner nearly $28 million in contributions this year from those willing to pay premiums for the best stadium and arena seats."

---  After another great SEC football season, fans have finally discovered conference basketball, writes Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"Only the night before South Carolina beat Kentucky, fans charged the court at a Division II game between Augusta State and USC Aiken. Photos on the Internet suggested a melee unfolded. But Brian Hand, a sports information staffer for USC Aiken, said the photos exaggerated what he described as "a little pushing and shoving."

---  Terrance Harris of AOL Fanhouse says the SEC is a better league than the Big 12.

"This was supposed to be the season the Big 12 made its run at the SEC for college football supremacy. Well, there is always next season."

---  Georgia swimmer Kristen Shickora is the ultimate team player, writes Kelly Kostanesky of the Repulican Herald. She finished ninth at the Olympic Trials in 2008.

"Shickora went from competing as an individual representing Marian High School - which doesn't have a swim team - to swimming the leadoff leg on the University of Georgia's NCAA national championship 200 medley relay team in 2009, earning All-America honors in the process."

---  There is no second-guessing Arkansas' Courtney Forson, says Harry King of the ArkansasNews.com.

"Never has an individual carried a Razorback basketball team like Fortson did in the second half Thursday night against Mississippi State. The best thing his teammates did was get out of the way."

---  Todd Grantham is bringing a wealth of knowledge from NFL to the college ranks, Marc Weiszer of Athens Banner-Herald pens. Grantham is the new defensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs.

"Grantham had designs on looking at each of the defensive players with a fresh eye after spending the last 11 seasons in the NFL coaching for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts."