Ad Disclosure
Greg Sankey on future expansion: SEC can remain at 16 teams for ‘a long, long time’
Published:
DALLAS — Greg Sankey touched on conference expansion during his opening statement on Monday as the SEC kicked off its annual media conference, and he made clear the league is happy with where it currently sits.
Before Sankey took the podium in Dallas, a video played that welcomed and highlighted Oklahoma and Texas. While the Big Ten added 4 new schools from the West Coast, the ACC added 3 new schools from the Bay Area and Dallas, and the Big 12 added to its patchwork footprint, the SEC added 2 programs that fit into its current ethos and made sense from a travel standpoint.
Recent reports have stated that Florida State and Clemson have held conversations with the Big 12, suggesting the latest round of conference realignment hasn’t quite finished. Without mentioning any other league or program, Sankey intimated that the SEC was done.
“Sixteen is our today, and 16 is our tomorrow,” Sankey said in his opening statements.
Sankey stated the regionality of the league was important to him and to the SEC’s leadership. He said the newcomers added no more than 100 miles to road trips for teams in the league. Contrast that with the Big Ten’s UCLA-Rutgers matchup or the ACC’s Cal-Syracuse one, where athletes will travel cross-country.
He also said the SEC’s additions restored historic rivalries.
“We have dates that have meaning, that we understand,” Sankey said.
During the question-and-answer portion of Sankey’s time at the podium, he was asked about the geographic footprint of the SEC — which has largely remained cohesive throughout the process of expansion — and said the current alignment provides “remarkable strength” and is “incredibly wise.”
Sankey was pressed on the “16 today, 16 tomorrow” comment from his opening statement several times and asked about the future of the league. In each instance, he was adamant the leadership is focused on their current 16-team membership.
“We can certainly remain at 16 for a long, long time and be incredibly successful,” Sankey said.
Pending lawsuits from Florida State, Clemson, and the ACC threaten to promote further movement between the conferences. The Tampa Bay Times’ Matt Baker reported recently that Clemson’s suit against the ACC argues the Tigers would own the TV rights to their games if they were no longer a member of the ACC. Depending on the courts’ interpretation of the ACC’s grant of rights agreement, Florida State and Clemson could find a financially viable path to exiting the league.
“I pay attention. As I said, we’re focused on our 16. I’m not a recruiter,” Sankey said when asked if he was following the situation. “My job is to make sure we reach the standard of excellence we have for ourselves on a daily basis. That attracts interest. 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.
“Our presidents have been clear that I am not going to entangle us in litigation around expansion. I pay attention, but I’m not engaged in conversations.”
Sankey added that speculation about what might or might not happen with the ACC is “counterproductive.” But the SEC, like Sankey said, also doesn’t need to be a recruiter. The league led all conferences in football attendance for the 25th consecutive season, Sankey stated. It had won 4 straight national titles prior to last season, and is the current favorite to win the national championship in 2024 (-150 via Caesars).
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
