SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey opened the conference’s annual football media days on Monday by tackling some of the biggest issues facing college athletics, from College Football Playoff expansion and NCAA eligibility rules to federal legislation and the future of the NCAA itself.
While Sankey stressed during his podium appearance in Tampa that the SEC remains committed to helping shape the future of college sports, he acknowledged that league leaders have held “real” discussions about the possibility of breaking away from the NCAA if meaningful reforms are not made.
“They’re real,” Sankey said of the conversations among the 16 SEC presidents about separating from the rest of college athletics. “They’ve opined about the frustrations that bring them to the point of saying we should look at something significantly different.”
Despite those frustrations, Sankey said the conference’s preference is to preserve a national model for college athletics.
“Our responsibility is to provide leadership – the leadership needed to preserve the values, the opportunities, and competitive integrity that have made college athletics so meaningful for so many generations,” Sankey said. “One of the greatest responsibilities is to establish a stable national framework for college athletics.”
Sankey’s roughly 45-minute session with reporters covered several topics that continue to reshape college athletics, including congressional efforts to regulate name, image, and likeness compensation, litigation surrounding a new NCAA eligibility standard, and the future format of the College Football Playoff.
Playoff expansion still unsolved
The SEC remains the only Power Four conference that has not endorsed expanding the College Football Playoff beyond its current 12-team format.
Rather than focusing on a specific number of teams, Sankey said the conference is more interested in ensuring any expansion is supported by research and long-term stability.
“We’re not necessarily interested in finding the easiest path; we are focused on finding the right path for college football,” Sankey said.
He added that the SEC wants additional analysis on topics such as fan and media interest before supporting further expansion.
While the expansion from four to 12 CFP teams ahead of the 2024-25 season has greatly benefited the SEC, naturally increasing its postseason representation, the conference has not had a team win a national title since Georgia in 2022.
Congressional action and NIL reform
Sankey also called for changes to the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act currently being debated in Congress.
The SEC previously submitted a 10-point proposal outlining the revisions it believes are necessary, including stronger national standards for NIL regulations, greater protection from lawsuits against conferences and schools, and clearer guidelines governing player compensation.
According to Sankey, any federal legislation should focus on four key principles: enforcing national standards, creating a consistent national framework, increasing transparency and accountability, and treating institutions equally while preserving their ability to make independent decisions.
“Federal legislation is only one part of our responsibility,” Sankey said. “The same principles that we talk about guiding congressional decision-making should also guide us every day.”
Eligibility concerns remain
Sankey also criticized the rollout of the NCAA’s recently revised eligibility rules, which generally allow athletes five years to compete in five seasons and have already prompted legal challenges.
He said the SEC had no role in crafting the new standard and believes more study is needed before any additional changes are considered.
Looking ahead
SEC Media Days continue through Thursday at the Tampa Marriott Water Street.
Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding will appear Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. CT alongside players Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, and Will Echoles.
Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby is scheduled to take the podium Thursday at 12:30 p.m. CT with players Kamario Taylor, Kelley Jones, and Anthony Evans.
J.T. Mitchell, Caleb Salers, and the Associated Press contributed to this article.