About this episode

The episode compares the SEC of the late 1990s and early 2000s to its current state, highlighting key program shifts and competitiveness.

On this episode of the D1 Daily, Burkie and Roons compare the SEC of the late 1990s/early 2000s to today’s conference. They describe a league that once had clearer tiers—especially split by divisions—versus the current SEC’s depth where nearly every team can contend. They discuss key program shifts, including Ole Miss’ rise under Mike Bianco, South Carolina’s build under Ray Tanner, and how Tim Corbin’s transformation of Vanderbilt helped force the league to elevate its commitment. Burkie also shares a vivid memory of Skip recalling a 1999 Tennessee-LSU series and closes with details on facing Golden Spikes winner Kip Bouknight. 00:00 Welcome Back 01:23 How The SEC Has Changed Since 2001 05:00 SEC: Then vs Now 08:35 Burkie vs LSU Story 10:49 How The East Programs Have Evolved 13:28 South Carolina's Rise Under Tanner 16:44 Corbin Changed Everything 17:50 Facilities, Ballparks, and Crowds 23:00 Facing Kip Bouknight 25:02 Wrap Up For athletes and sports programs of all levels, AstroTurf has managed the entirety of the synthetic turf manufacturing process for decades. By focusing on quality, safety, and performance, AstroTurf continues to provide customized surfacing solutions for…

People in this episode

Hosts: Burkie, Roons

Topics covered

• SEC baseball history
• program evolution
• college baseball
• Skip Bertman
• team competitiveness
• baseball facilities

Keywords

• SEC
• Skip Bertman
• college baseball
• Mike Bianco
• Ray Tanner
• Tim Corbin
• Kip Bouknight
• baseball programs
• team evolution

Sponsors

AstroTurf, Homefield

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SEC

More episodes of The D1Baseball Podcast

• Parallels Between College Football & Baseball [D1 Daily] · September 8, 2026 · 28 min
• Top Transfer Hitters: Part II [D1 Daily] · September 4, 2026 · 20 min
• 2026 Transfer Portal Recap: Top Additions, Best Fits, Rising Names · September 3, 2026 · 60 min
• Top Transfer Hitters: Part I [D1 Daily] · September 1, 2026 · 28 min
• The Little League World Series Episode [D1 Daily] · August 25, 2026 · 24 min
• 2026 Summer Ball Recap: Top Prospects, Breakout Stars, Rising Names · August 24, 2026 · 1h 11m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The D1Baseball Podcast podcast page.