Greg Sankey sends warning to SEC programs about faking injuries

The SEC is now trying to do something about long-standing complaint in college football. Faking injuries has been a complaint that fans and coaches of tempo offenses have been made for a long time. The league office in Birmingham is now finally drawing a line in the sand.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey sent a memo to SEC coaches and athletic directors issuing a warning about faking injuries, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported. There could now be penalties and coach suspensions.

The penalties would increase for each occurrence of fake injuries, as determined by the National Coordinator for Football Officiating. The SEC head coach would receive a public reprimand and the school would be assessed a $50,000 penalty. That number would increase to $100,000 on the second violation. If there is a third violation, the SEC head coach will face a game suspension.

Greg Sankey sent a memo to SEC coaches & ADs ordering them to stop directing players to feign injuries & instituting penalties that include, on a 3rd offense, a coach suspension, per a copy obtained by @YahooSports.

"Play football & stop the feigned injury nonsense," he writes. pic.twitter.com/1ShgBeve9V

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 1, 2024

Sankey also said the SEC would send any video of obvious fake injuries to the National Coordinator for Football Officiating. But the league office won’t necessarily look at every play that could be questionsed. The SEC Commissioner sent a direct and blunt message to the league members at the end of the email.

“As of this date, it is presumed that every member of your football program – coaches, staff, student-athletes, medical staff, and all others – is aware of and understands this policy,” Sankey wrote. “Play football and stop the feigned injury nonsense.”

Earlier this season, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer complained about the amount of Ole Miss players who went down with injury but almost immediately returned to the game. Ole Miss has seemingly leaned into this practice this season and that caught the attention of many during the Kentucky game for a clear fake injury situation on offense.

Blatant fake injury from Ole Miss vs. Kentucky😬

(via @ESPN)pic.twitter.com/l09rrJ7cA1

— On3 (@On3sports) September 28, 2024

The fake cramp tactic has been used to combat tempo offenses and now enough has happened for the league office to draw a line in the sand. We’ll see if this warning from Sankey lowers the rate of alleged fake injuries.