When the SEC split into divisions in 1992, it took great pains to make sure the East and the West were balanced, both geographically and competitively. There were six traditionally strong programs in the SEC: Alabama, Auburn and LSU were placed in the West, while Florida, Georgia and Tennessee were in the East.
“That’s where we started,” said then-commissioner Roy Kramer (1990-2001), who led the move to division play. “It was the perfect split.”
In the early years, the East had the edge. Steve Spurrier had just arrived at Florida, where he would win four consecutive SEC championship games (1993-96) and six titles overall.