Tennessee was second to national champ Florida in the SEC East football race last fall and second to national champ Florida in the SEC basketball race last winter. Now Tennessee has finished second to Florida in the SEC all-sports race.
According to an article posted at fightingators.com and reprinted at Scout.com, Florida has won the SEC all-sports award 15 times in the past 16 years. A 14-year streak ended in 2005. Florida prevailed in 2006 by winning the men's all-sports title, the women's all-sports title and the combined all-sports title.
Tennessee finished second in men's competition, second in women's competition and second in the two combined. Georgia was third, LSU fourth and Auburn fifth.
In addition to its titles in football and men's basketball, Florida claimed 2006-07 SEC championships in four women's sports – tennis, volleyball, soccer and gymnastics.
Tennessee's men won the SEC outdoor track championships and the SEC golf tournament. The Vols tied for second in basketball (10-6 in league play), tied for third in tennis (7-4 in league play), placed fourth in swimming and diving, fifth in football (5-3 in league play) and eighth in baseball (13-15 in league play).
The Lady Vols claimed league titles in basketball (14-0) and softball (23-4). They placed second in soccer (6-3-2), third in golf, fourth in outdoor track, fifth in swimming, tied for fifth in tennis (6-5) and volleyball (10-10).
The SEC used to compiled the all-sports rankings each year but that duty now falls to the Gainesville Sun. The all-sports award is sponsored by The New York Times Regional Newspaper Group.