SEC commissioner Greg Sankey addressed the recent wave of conference realignment and expansion, managing to take some pointed shots at the Big Ten while doing so.
Speaking on the first day of SEC Media Days Monday, Sankey spoke positively about the direction of the SEC, which remains set to add Oklahoma and Texas in 2025. He said that the conference still feels confident about its standing nationally and that there’s no need to panic in the wake of USC’s and UCLA’s move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.
“This keeps the SEC in contiguous states, which reflects a reasonable geography and like-minded universities,” Sankey said of the addition of Oklahoma and Texas, per The Athletic. “There’s no sense of urgency in our league. No panic in reaction to others’ actions. We know who we are.”
One of the following questions more directly asked Sankey to compare the SEC and Big Ten: did he feel that adding Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC trumped adding USC and UCLA to the Big Ten?
According to Scott Rabalais of The Advocate, Sankey’s answer was simple: yes.
Sankey continued on the subject of realignment and was also asked if he plans to entertain an SEC expansion beyond the 16 teams that will be in the league following the additions of Texas and Oklahoma. While he neglected to give specifics, the commissioner that he was “attentive”, but wanted any potential expansion to be well thought out.
“We’re attentive, we’re engaged in conversation. The great news for the Southeastern Conference is people call and say, ‘Hey you’re doing something special.’ They kind of hint around the edges,” Sankey said, per The Athletic. “We’ll watch what happens around us. And be thoughtful, but be nimble.”
