Andy Wittry reveals what Greg Sankey told Jimbo Fisher prior to explosive press conference

Just when it looked like the Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher spat was behind us, a new development came Monday when On3’s Andy Wittry reported Texas A&M asked the SEC to consider suspending Saban, according to emails obtained via a public records request. Monday afternoon, Wittry provided more details about what the emails said.

Appearing on The Paul Finebaum Show, Wittry said SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was flying from New York City to Birmingham the day after Saban alleged Texas A&M “bought every player on their team” through NIL. As it turns out, the SEC was putting a press release together about a public reprimand for Saban.

Then, Fisher held his press conference, calling Saban a “narcissist” for his “despicable” comments — and things had to change.

“[Sankey] said in his email to [Texas A&M athletic director] Ross Bjork that initially, the conference drafted a press release saying that the public reprimand of Nick Saban, that he called out an opposing university and their staff members,” Wittry told Finebaum. “By the time he finished that draft of a press release, then Sankey, I think mid-air, had learned about what Jimbo Fisher had said.

“And even though he had talked to Jimbo that morning and had kind of warned him saying, ‘Hey, don’t make the same mistake and violate the same bylaws that Nick just did,’ then he learned [about] the comments that Jimbo made and they had to update or add to the press release and say, ‘Hey, it wasn’t just one coach in our conference. Now, it’s two.’ And they sent that one out later that afternoon.”

On3’s Andy Wittry: Greg Sankey had a ‘phone visit’ with Jimbo Fisher prior to explosive press conference

Wittry said the emails also showed Sankey had what was called a “phone visit” with Fisher prior to the press conference when he told him to be careful with his word choice. After the call ended, Fisher took the podium — and the rest, as they say, is history.

“I think the phrase that Greg Sankey used was a ‘phone visit,’ so I would interpret that as a phone call,” Wittry said. “I don’t know, maybe that’s a FaceTime or a Zoom … but he said a ‘phone visit’ with Jimbo that morning and Jimbo expressed his anger and how upset he was at [Saban’s] comments. Then Greg said, ‘Be careful. Don’t cross the line that Nick just crossed,’ and then Jimbo had the press conference and made the comments that he made.”