HOOVER, Ala. • Barry Odom arrived here for his second Southeastern Conference Media Days, but this time didn’t have to protect a secret. When he came to The Wynfrey Hotel for last year’s event he was the only person in the building who knew his boss was about to bolt for Baylor. This year, just to double check, Odom called Mizzou athletics director Jim Sterk to make sure he wouldn’t get blindsided again this year. (Sterk isn’t going anywhere, at least as of 10:30 this morning.)
“I thought we might be able to get through the day last year without that (news) breaking, and then I think it broke three minutes before I took the main podium,” Odom said.