07/21 at 11:51 PM

HOOVER – In the end, SEC commissioner Mike Slive said the rumors of SEC expansion were much ado about nothing.

But he still won’t rule it out for the future.

In his annual “State of the SEC” address Wednesday, Slive said the conference “was not and is not interested in initiating or provoking membership changes” despite multiple reports and rumors that it was in serious talks with Texas A&M to do just that.

Slive hinted that changes could have materialized if the proposed “Pac-16” came together and the Big 12 folded.

“As it turned out, the paradigm shift never materialized,” Slive said. “It afforded us the opportunity to remain comfortable in the position in which we find ourselves.”

The paradigm shift, though, hasn’t exactly ground to a halt, as many believe the current, tenuous structure of the Big 12 will inevitably lead to the major changes many were expecting this summer. Former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, now at Texas Tech, said earlier this month there is “too much disparity between all the teams” in the Big 12 in how money is distributed and said he was not sure how long a 10-team league will last.

If the inevitable becomes reality, Slive didn’t rule out pouncing on the opportunity.

“If that happens,” Slive said, “we should take the opportunity to assess the values shared by intercollegiate athletics and higher education.”

Night Tigers
Auburn will be back where it’s comfortable for its first three games of the 2010 season.

Under the lights.

Auburn’s Sept. 4 season opener against Arkansas State is set for 6 p.m. and will air on Fox Sports. The next two games, Thursday, Sept. 9 at Mississippi State and Sept. 18 against Clemson, will start at 6:30 p.m. and air on ESPN.

The start time for the Nov. 26 Iron Bowl was also set Wednesday, as it will kickoff at 1:30 p.m. on CBS for the second consecutive year.

Parting shots for Kiffin
At this time last year, Lane Kiffin was the toast of SEC Media Days, offering a rosy outlook for the future of Tennessee football all the while tossing jabs at a number of his adversaries.

On Wednesday, nearly eight months since he bolted Knoxville for USC, he was the butt of joke after joke.

Slive’s unprompted remarks drew the biggest surprise and laughs. He didn’t feel the need to refer to Kiffin by name when congratulating new Volunteers coach Derek Dooley for returning to the SEC.

“Derek Dooley’s predecessor left to return to his western roots,” Slive said. “I want to welcome coach Dooley back to the SEC. And when I say ‘welcome,’ I mean welcome.”

Florida coach Urban Meyer, one of Kiffin’s biggest targets for pot shots, said he had all the respect in the world for Dooley and said it’s crucial for all SEC coaches to get along off the field, especially in the wake of the multiple accusations of improper dealings with agents.

“We all have to work together to get this done,” Meyer said.

Parker to return for Clemson
The Tigers’ strength of schedule got a whole lot harder Wednesday.

Clemson two-sport athlete Kyle Parker, who was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the first round of June’s Major League Baseball amateur draft, said he will return as the Tigers’ starting quarterback in 2010.

Parker said he will continue to negotiate with the Rockies. The deadline to sign is Aug. 16.

“I was in a situation where I couldn’t make a bad decision,“ Parker said in a university statement. “All my options are still on the table at this point. The only option I have ruled out is playing baseball exclusively for the Colorado Rockies right now. Negotiations will continue with the Rockies, but I will play football at Clemson this fall.“

As a freshman, Parker completed 205 of 369 passes for 2,526 yards and 20 touchdowns, setting school freshman records in all of those categories. Parker is the only athlete in Division I college sports history to throw 20 touchdown passes and hit 20 home runs in the same academic year.

‘Recharged’
Meyer, who briefly resigned his position last year because of overwhelming stress, said he doesn’t plan to change his in-season routine.

Meyer said his mindset changed when the constant chest pains he was suffering were diagnosed in January. Now that he knows he suffers from esophageal spasms, Meyer said the issue is resolved and it won’t require an abnormal amount of rest and relaxation for a head football coach.

“The issue was what’s going on and we’re not finding it,” Meyer said. “The stress of knowing there’s a health issue has been relieved.

“The wear and tear of being a football coach, I’ve just got to be a little smarter.”

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