The speed of technological innovation can be far too swift for some. This can be especially true for those in charge of major collegiate athletic conferences — men and women far removed from a generation connected to its peers on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and any other conceivable social media tool.

This week the Southeastern Conference gave us a case study in both that and the power our tweeted or blogged opinions have when collectively displayed.

Earlier this month the SEC banned social media at all athletic events in an effort to protect its $3 billion deal with CBS. Under the new ticket policy, fans could not tweet updates from the game or record cell phone video because, well, those little 140-character tweets and grainy YouTube videos would drag viewers away from high definition television coverage of the actual event.

As you could imagine, backlash spread across the Web en masse. Popular sports blog Deadspin.com posted an entry titled “The SEC Would Prefer That You Not Mention SEC Games To Anyone.” Fans tweeted their furor as much as Twitter’s word limit would allow.

“95 percent of the feedback we got was online,” an SEC spokesman told the Charlotte Observer Wednesday.

Hours later, the SEC changed course, issuing a mea culpa on...wait for it...Twitter.

“To our Twitter fans, we have heard you. We’re working on clarifications to our policy and should have something done soon,” read the tweet @SECSportsUpdate late Monday afternoon.

This was followed the next day by, “Revised SEC Ticket Policy in place. Twitter fans, please share the great times you have at our stadiums with your friends.”

This is a cool story for a number of reasons. One of the NCAA’s top conferences avoided setting an unrealistic and oppressive precedent that undoubtedly would have been followed by the other power conferences. The SEC nearly shunned social media before it eventually embraced it. It just missed blowing its foot off with a shotgun.

Kansas fans for now can also rest assured that they too can tweet their hearts out at games this season. I talked to associate athletics director Jim Marchiony Tuesday night about Kansas Athletics’ stance on social media, and he said that it is still deliberating over where to draw the line between a fan’s right to use Twitter at games and the rights of the radio and television providers who’ve paid to broadcast the games.

Marchiony said there is not yet a policy on social media, be it Twitter or YouTube. He also added that while the quality of video captured by cell phones isn’t equal to that of, say, ESPN, the rapid improvement of cell phone capabilities is being considered.

Lastly, and most impressively, this was an immense victory for fans. Know now and forevermore that through social media, your voice can be heard. Without the reaction of fans on Twitter and without scathing assessments of the SEC’s ticket policy, nothing would have changed. This was an exercise and exhibition of the increased strength of public opinion via these tools and that strength being put to good use.

“No one opinion changes everything,” Marchiony said. “But we definitely track what people are saying.”

THURSDAY YOUTUBE SESH

Whether or not this first day of school has elicited excitement or dread, you’ll likely need to unwind tonight. What better way than in the company of Kenny Powers. Finally got caught up this summer with Eastbound and Down, the hilarious HBO series about a burnt-out ex-major league pitcher trying to make a comeback while doubling as an elementary P.E. teacher.

If you haven’t already, just go ahead and tear through the six episodes on DVD in one sitting. The show — starring Danny McBride of “Hot Rod,” “Tropic Thunder” and “Pineapple Express” ­— garnered enough of a following to produce a healthy amount of YouTube clips.

Search “Best of Kenny Powers,” “Stevie Janowski” (Kenny’s hilariously creepy assistant) and “Kenny Powers - This Is Why I’m Better Than Everyone.”

— — Edited by Sarah Kelly