Greg Sankey gives fiery rebuttal to criticism that SEC shouldn't have eight regional hosts 

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey joined Tom Hart, Chris Burke, and Kyle Peterson on the broadcast of the SEC Tournament Championship Sunday as Texas A&M and Vanderbilt squared off on the diamond.

Sankey spoke about the current format of the NCAA baseball tournament ahead of the Field of 64 release on Monday, as Peterson asked the commissioner what he’d say to people who believe the SEC shouldn’t have eight host teams for the tournament’s regional games.

“That is not the criteria,” Sankey said.

Peterson agreed with Sankey’s short and sweet sentiment, as the SEC commissioner elaborated on his point.

“So what becomes this time of year is excuses about not doing things,” Sankey said. “The reality is you have a team like Kentucky that did what they were supposed to do outside of the conference. They play in the best, the toughest, the strongest baseball conference in the country bar none. They had still a remarkable season. They should be rewarded for that. South Carolina I think is in that same situation.”

There’s no doubt the SEC is a strong conference not only in baseball but elsewhere, with teams like the Wildcats and Gamecocks who may have taken their lumps in conference play but still present impressive resumes heading into Monday’s selection. But some of the conference’s top team are also undeniable in regards to where they should be seeded in the NCAA Tournament.

“Then you can start at the top. Florida and Arkansas obviously very clearly deserve that opportunity. LSU, Vanderbilt, what Texas A&M has done to strengthen their positioning to be in the tournament but from a hosting standpoint, we have watched our teams adjust,” Sankey said. “I give for example, I give Nick Mingione credit their third in the RPI and I hear this rhetoric in the baseball media about what ifs. It shouldn’t be what if. You should be rewarded for following the exact kind of criteria and expectations established.”

Others may want to see a bigger variety of host teams in their regional matches of the NCAA Baseball Tournament, but naturally, it’s clear that the SEC commissioner is a firm believer that the conference is right where they need to be from a hosting perspective.

The SEC may lead all conferences in the number of potential host schools, but according to D1Baseball, only seven squads are expected to host home games in this year’s edition of the regional play. Additionally, an SEC school has been crowned as a national champion in four of the last five seasons played.