HOOVER Ala. – Tennessee has been selected by the media – a record 331 representatives attended the meetings – to win the Southeastern Conference East in 2016.
The Vols garnered 2,167 points on the strength of 225 first-place votes as the SEC Media Days wrapped up on Thursday.
Florida finished No. 2 in the voting while Georgia, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Missouri and South Carolina followed.
Tennessee hasn't won a divisional crown since 2007 when the Vols when they went 6-2 in the SEC and 10-4 overall. That was Phillip Fulmer's next-to-last season as Tennessee's head coach.
The Vols finished second in 2009, Lane Kiffin's lone season in Knoxville, with a 4-4 record and 7-6 overall mark.
Tennessee snapped a string of five losing SEC records -- three under Derek Dooley and Butch Jones' first two years -- with a 5-3 mark in 2015. The Vols finished second to Florida.
To no one’s surprise Alabama was tabbed to win the West over LSU. The Crimson Tide had 2,220 points and 246 first-place votes. The Tigers had 1,984 points and 76 first-place votes.
In order behind the Tide and Tigers were Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Auburn and Mississippi State.
Five times since 1992 and three times in the past 20 years the SEC media day’s predicted champion eventually won the league title.
The preseason All-SEC team will be announced on Friday.
Team predictions with first-place votes in parenthesis:
SEC East
Team Points
Tennessee (225) 2,167
Florida (57) 1,891
Georgia (45) 1,860
Kentucky (0) 933
Vanderbilt (2) 810
Missouri (0) 807
South Carolina (2) 800
SEC West
Alabama (246) 2,220
LSU (76) 1,984
Ole Miss (3) 1,479
Texas A&M (3) 1,130
Arkansas (1) 1,047
Auburn (0) 890
Miss. State (0) 518