Ranking SEC schools by most famous living celebrity alumni
Which SEC school has the most famous alumni? Certainly, the Texas Longhorns boast several celebrities that went to school in Austin. Owen Wilson, Wes Anderson, Glen Powell, Renée Zellweger, Robert Rodriguez, Michael Dell and Angie Harmon just to name a few. Of course, the most famous current UT celeb is "Minister of Culture" Matthew McConaughey.
With the huge institutions in the SEC, most schools have their own list of famous people that attended or graduated from there. We picked the most famous celebrity from each institution of higher learning and ranked the SEC members based on the fame of that list of 16 illustrious alumni.
Celebrity Alumni Rankings Criteria:
1. Brad Pitt, actor - Missouri Tigers
Everyone else on this list graduated from the schools they represent. But we'll give Pitt a pass since he was TWO WEEKS from graduation before moving to Hollywood.
2. Matthew McConaughey, actor - Texas Longhorns
McConaughey's big break came just a few months after graduating from Texas when he was tabbed to play David Wooderson in Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused. He went on to win an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club.
3. Ryan Seacrest, TV host - Georgia Bulldogs
One of the most recognizable faces in America, the former American Idol presenter now hosts Wheel of Fortune.
4. John Grisham, author - Mississippi State Bulldogs
Grisham is one of the best selling and best known authors in the modern era and has several books made into movies, including The Firm starring Tom Cruise.
5. Ashley Judd, actress - Kentucky Wildcats
With a string of hits in the 1990s, including Heat and Double Jeopardy, Judd stepped out of the shadow of her famous singing mom and sister to have a solid career of her own.
6. Erin Andrews, sportscaster - Florida Gators
If you've watched the NFL over the past 20 years, you've seen Andrews. Starting at ESPN, the Gator grad is the main sideline reporter for Fox Sports.
7. Octavia Spencer, actress - Auburn Tigers
A celebrated character actress, Spencer has been nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one for The Help.
8. Lyle Lovett, musician - Texas A&M Aggies
Possibly most famous for being married to Julia Roberts at one point, Lovett has been a staple in the Texas music scene for decades.
9. Darius Rucker, musician - South Carolina Gamecocks
The Hootie and the Blowfish frontman, Rucker has gone on to have a solid career in country music.
10. Olivia Munn, actress - Oklahoma Sooners
Munn has been in an X-Men movie and famously dated Aaron Rogers. She's now married to comedian John Mulaney.
11. Gerald McRaney, actor - Ole Miss Rebels
The star of long-running sit-com Major Dad, McRaney has been a solid character actor for decades.
12. James Carville, political pundit - LSU Tigers
Carville isn't a politician, but he's worked for dozens. Often credited for getting Bill Clinton elected president, the "Ragin' Cajun" has been a stalwart on news debate shows for since 1992.
13. Skip Bayless, sportscaster - Vanderbilt Commodores
The former ESPN and Fox Sports One provocateur, Bayless has been a big player in the shift from highlights to debates TV sports networks over the past 15 years.
14. Rece Davis, sportscaster - Alabama Crimson Tide
He's the host of ESPN's College GameDay and one of the premier faces of the Disney owned network.
15. Logan Marshall-Green, actor - Tennessee Volunteers
Marshall-Green has been in dozens of television shows, but most known for his role in Prometheus.
16. Nic Pizzolatto, TV writer/producer - Arkansas Razorbacks
Pizzolatto is most known as the writer creator of HBO's True Detective.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
13 minutes ago
- CBS News
Beyoncé powers through scary car malfunction during "Cowboy Carter" concert in Houston
Beyoncé powered through a scary technical malfunction at her first of two "Cowboy Carter" tour shows in her hometown of Houston on Saturday night. The 43-year-old singer was performing her song "16 Carriages" in a suspended red car when the vehicle started to tilt in the air, according to video from the scary moment shared by fans on social media. Her publicist confirmed the incident to CBS News on Sunday. The "Texas Hold 'Em" singer was sitting on top of a red convertible as it began to slant. She appeared to be wearing a harness and is seen holding on to one of the cables. "Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop," Beyoncé is heard calmly saying into the microphone while she remains suspended in the air. Beyoncé almost fell out ha car 💔💔💔 — BABY SHIESTY (@themainopp) June 29, 2025 The music was stopped and the car was slowly lowered to the stage. After she was on the ground, the singer, videos show, told the crowd: "I want to thank y'all for loving me." If ever I fall, I know y'all will catch me." A publicist for the singer told CBS News in a statement that a "technical mishap caused the flying car, a prop Beyonce uses to circle the stadium and see her fans up close, to tilt." "She was quickly lowered and no one was injured. The show continued without incident," the statement continued. The cause of the malfunction was not immediately clear. While she hasn't directly commented on the incident, Beyoncé shared a photo on Instagram. "I love you, Houston," she captioned the post, which included several other photos from the show The "Cowboy Carter" stop in Houston comes after Beyoncé finished the international leg of her tour, which included six nights in London and three nights in Paris.
Geek Tyrant
an hour ago
- Geek Tyrant
Trailer For The SLICE OF LIFE a Delightful Doc at the Unexpected Afterlife of Old Pizza Hut Buildings — GeekTyrant
There's something oddly comforting about seeing an old Pizza Hut building, even if it's no longer serving personal pan pizzas. I have memories as a kid going to Pizza Hut restaurants to eat dinner with the family. Slice of Life , a new documentary from Brooklyn filmmakers Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker, takes that strange nostalgia and turns it into something surprisingly meaningful. They crisscrossed the country visiting former Pizza Hut buildings now reborn as a karaoke bar in Texas, a cannabis dispensary in rural Colorado, and a LGBTQ+ church in Florida, These places, once symbols of mid-century American chain-restaurant charm, now reflect the evolving communities that inhabit them. As the filmmakers put it: 'A contemporary portrait of America, observed within the walls of former Pizza Hut buildings across the country.' Slice of Life also draws a line back to the brand's humble beginnings, weaving in the story of the Carney brothers, who launched Pizza Hut in Wichita, Kansas, back in 1958. The film smartly positions these transformed locations as mirrors of modern America, each new use layered over memories of childhood birthday parties, jukebox songs, and endless breadsticks. 'These nostalgic spaces hold memories of a bygone era,' the filmmakers explain, 'but through the power of transformation, they provide something new and special for the communities that continue to flow through them.' It's an unexpectedly heartfelt reminder that even the most ordinary buildings can live extraordinary second lives.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Stop!': Beyoncé pauses show as flying Cadillac tilts mid-air
Somebody's getting fired... Beyoncé was forced to stop her show in Houston on Saturday night when the car she was sitting in started to tilt mid-air. The elaborate stage prop - a red Cadillac - is suspended on cables and carries the superstar high over her fans near the end of her Cowboy Carter stadium show. But during Saturday's performance, the car started to slowly tilt to one side, leaving the 43-year-old performer clinging to a flag pole for support. "Stop! Stop, stop, stop stop," Beyoncé said, bringing an abrupt end to her country ballad, 16 Carriages. Gasps could be heard from the audience when fans realised what was happening, but then applause as the star was slowly lowered to the ground, smiling and waving to the crowd. "If ever I fall, I know y'all will catch me," she said later. Fans took to social media to post their videos of the frightening moment, commenting with Beyoncé's now-infamous catchphrase "somebody's getting fired", which she quipped on stage during a lighting problem in 2010. Beyoncé's company, Parkwood Entertainment, said a "technical mishap" had caused the car to tilt. "She was quickly lowered and no one was injured. The show continued without incident," the statement added. This was not the first prop malfunction Beyoncé has experienced over her years of touring. Earlier in this tour, a robot supposed to pour her a drink missed its mark, no doubt leaving a puddle of Sir Davis whisky for the crew to clean up. And during her On The Run II tour with husband Jay-Z in 2018, a moving platform broke, forcing Beyoncé to climb down a ladder - in heels and a sequined leotard, no less. Cowboy Beyoncé dazzles nearly sold-out stadium 'Beyoncé is the best live singer of our generation' The story behind Beyoncé's Chitlin' Circuit tour name The performance in her hometown of Houston, Texas, was the 23rd of her 32-show Cowboy Carter tour, which wraps up in Las Vegas next month. The three-hour extravaganza of chaps and cowboy boots has been lauded for its high-energy and artistry, and has delighted fans with appearances by Beyoncé and Jay-Z's daughters, Blue, 13, and Rumi, aged eight. The show has broken ticket records at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London (the previous record holder was... Beyoncé) and Stade De France in Paris.
