Ranking College Towns in the SEC: Which is at the Top of Your List?

With Ole Miss baseball canceled on Saturday, why not discuss which SEC towns are the best in the conference?

John Macon Gillespie | Feb 26, 2022

The Southeastern Conference is known for a multitude of reasons, the largest of which is athletic prowess.

The SEC is one of the most dominating forces in collegiate athletics, both in terms of revenue generated and success on the field, but that isn't all the conference is known for. It also has some interesting college towns within its ranks.

There are 14 schools in the SEC, and each school is located in a different city. With the SEC set to expand to 16 teams in the near future, that number of towns will also grow.

With so many different aspects offered in each town, the question surrounding which town is the best and worst is a common topic among SEC fans.

Here is an alphabetical list of each school and its corresponding community. The 2020 census population of the city has also been included.

University of Alabama -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Pop. 99,600)

University of Arkansas -- Fayetteville, Ark. (Pop. 93,949)

Auburn University -- Auburn, Ala. (Pop. 76,143)

University of Florida -- Gainesville, Fla. (Pop. 141,085)

University of Georgia -- Athens, Ga. (Pop. 127,315)

University of Kentucky -- Lexington, Ky. (Pop. 322,570)

Louisiana State University -- Baton Rouge, La. (Pop. 227,470)

University of Mississippi -- Oxford, Miss. (Pop. 25,416)

Mississippi State University -- Starkville, Miss. (Pop. 24,360)

University of Missouri -- Columbia, Mo. (Pop. 126,254)

University of South Carolina -- Columbia, S.C. (Pop. 136,632)

University of Tennessee -- Knoxville, Tenn. (Pop. 190,740)

Texas A&M University -- College Station, Tex. (Pop. 120,511)

Vanderbilt University -- Nashville, Tenn. (Pop. 715,884)

Future Members:

University of Oklahoma -- Norman, Okla. (Pop. 110,925)

University of Texas at Austin -- Austin, Tex. (Pop. 961,855)

According to the 2020 census, the two Mississippi schools in the SEC are in cities with the lowest population in the conference.

While determining what is a "good" college town will vary from person-to-person (largely depending on city size and individual taste), the debate forms an interesting conversation.

What is your favorite SEC town? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook.