Greg Sankey insists the SEC isn't engaged in future conference realignment wars
DALLAS — Before commissioner Greg Sankey delivered his annual State of the Union, the conference kicked off its 2024 SEC Media Days with a highlight video that ended with shots and scenes from the league’s newcomers Texas and Oklahoma.
Hook’em. Bevo. Baker Mayfield jumping into the stands.
With the music at a crescendo, a voice-over read, ”14 deep to 16 strong. Now more than ever, it just means more.”
It just means more.
The SEC’s slogan is doing a lot of heavy lifting in 2024. With NCAA athletics engulfed in a tsunami of change, Sankey spent the majority of his address answering questions about the league’s interest in participating in future conference realignment wars.
Does more mean more teams?
“16 is our today, and 16 is our tomorrow,” Sankey said.
Tomorrow as in Tuesday? Or tomorrow as in the future?
“We’re focused on our 16, period,” the commissioner reiterated.
Why the SEC seems content at 16 teams
It’s natural (and prudent) to be skeptical of conference commissioners. They speak in purposeful vagaries and in their own self-interest. Still, Greg Sankey is on record repeating the same talking points for more than two years now.
He pays attention. He’s not a recruiter. The SEC’s presidents have no interest in becoming engaged in open litigation.
“We know who we are in the Southeastern Conference. We’re the one conference at this level where the name still means something,” Sankey said.
“We actually restored historic rivalries. We have dates that have meaning, that we understand.”
But with a bit of a sheepish Cheshire smile, Sankey can brag about maintaining the SEC’s geographic regionality by adding Texas and Oklahoma, while at the same time maintaining a straight face that his league isn’t actively pursuing further expansion because he might not actually know what’s happening elsewhere.
Most certainly don’t seem to at least.
Just last week, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark bragged how his conference stretched across multiple time zones. It’s a league that stretches from Arizona to West Virginia — and could be aiming at swiping Florida State or Clemson. Yormark again stated that the league is “open for business,” but he was vague in what exactly that statement meant.
The Seminoles are in open litigation with the ACC. Same for Clemson. Miami and North Carolina reportedly want out, too, so what happens if Jim Phillips’ league crumbles like the former Pac-12?
“I’m not going to guess on what happens next,” Sankey said.
“That speculation is counter-productive.”
Would the SEC be interested in those teams/brands/natural geographic expansion?
“My job is to make sure we meet the standard of excellence that we have for ourselves on a daily basis. That attracts interest,” Sankey said.
“It’s done that with the two universities that we have added this year. They’re not the only phone calls I’ve ever had, but I’m not involved in recruitment.”
He doesn’t have to be.
The SEC doesn’t need to add FSU or Clemson to become a super league.
It already is one, so for now, Sankey can play coy, sit back and watch how the future unfolds before making his next move.
Maybe the ACC finds a way to survive? Perhaps the much-ballyhooed Super Conference with the best teams from the Big Ten and SEC is nothing more than a distant dream for media rights holders?
“There’s a lot that’s happening. Where’s the hope in this? Where’s the finish line? … I’m convinced through all this change, our best is yet to come,” Sankey concluded.
Our best is yet to come.
For college athletics writ large or the SEC’s?
Here’s guessing the latter.
For now, the top conference in the country doesn’t need to be overreactive in any pursuit of FSU or Clemson — or more logically North Carolina or Virginia.
It was strong before, and with Texas and OU, it’s even stronger now. Sure, chaos continues to swirl around the conference. And as Sankey likes to say, “The time’s they are a changin’.”
But for now, the SEC seems truly content on its new-look Sweet 16.