Greg Sankey reveals conversations he had with Oklahoma amid move to SEC

Greg Sankey revealed the conversations he had with Oklahoma, and Texas, amid the school’s move to the SEC.

Now that it’s July 1, the Sooners and Longhorns are official members of the conference after leaving the Big 12. But as the saga went, it wasn’t an easy process.

It certainly took some time, but Sankey was glad it finally got to this point.

“We had a President’s meeting in early June where I just laid open the reality that both Oklahoma and Texas were interested in pursuing membership,” Sankey said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “And it was a stop or start moment with our 14 presidents at the time. And then there were conversations that took place, but part of the stress that I caused for Joe (Castiglione) and for Jay Hartzell was, I said, ‘you have to make your decision about the ‘Big 12.’

“The way their relationship was structured there, we’re not going to entertain applications or make commitments. And so there was a point that was explained, I think very directly, in June where you’ll have to make that decision and then there’s going to be a point of risk for all of us.” 

The SEC wasn’t the end all, be all for Oklahoma, as well as Texas. It was certainly the priority, but that was the risk alluded to by Sankey.

“They could have gone someplace else,” Sankey said. “I think their interest, they decided, was with us. I also said when you notify the Big 12 and then apply here, I can’t guarantee you an invitation. That’s subject to a vote of our membership. That vote took place a couple of days later. It became unanimous, which I credit all 14 of our universities for that and there was some difficulty in that across more than just one of our campuses as they tried to sort out the future. 

“But what was central to the conversation was our decision making and again, I think this has been supported by what’s happened the last three years, allowed all of our 16 universities to influence their direction together, rather than to be subject to what happened around that.”

Oklahoma and Texas moving to the SEC wasn’t the only move. In a world of conference realignment, Sankey saw what the Big Ten added, going to the West Coast.

“So think about what happened in ‘22, think about what happened in ‘23 with conference movement, we got to make our own decision,” Sankey said. “So we decided these 16 universities are the right affiliation. But very directly, there was a gap there where the University of Oklahoma and University of Texas knew you’re gonna have to make a decision about the Big 12 you’re gonna make outreach to us about membership. We have to make a decision and in the interim, it could go in any direction.”

In the end, Sankey and the SEC landed the two historic institutions, which should shape up for a fascinating athletic future.