Greg Sankey "Shaken But Not Deterred" Over SEC Postponements

The SEC commissioner spoke to the media on Wednesday regarding the recent postponements of games around the league and its handling the next steps

Seven weeks into the Southeastern Conference's 10-game schedule and COVID-19 has reared its ugly head, forcing four of the league's seven games this weekend to be postponed.

Commissioner Greg Sankey spoke to reporters during Wednesday's teleconference to provide insight into where the league moves from here.

"I'm certainly shaken but not deterred," Sankey said. "I think it's important to remember that so far to date in football season we've completed 40 of our 70 games with a 10-game season for each of our 14 teams. That predicts to 70 games within the regular season. We recognized back in the summer that there would be the need to adjust. We provided opportunities for that. Those are not infinite opportunities, but we acknowledge the likelihood of adjustment."

The league-wide issues haven't necessarily been surrounding the number of positive tests, which Sankey revealed that the SEC is hitting at a .005 percent positivity rate among its member institutions, but rather the contact-tracing protocols that forces close contacts of COVID-19-positives to quarantine for 14 days.

While the NFL has been able to avoid that issue, allowing players to test out with consecutive negative results, the conference doesn't get to change the policy. 

"We are colleges and universities located in 11 different states with 11 different state policies," Sankey said. "We have local policies. And so we have not been able to vary from what exists as 14-day quarantining for close contacts from the CDC.

"Perhaps that advice will change. I think that would be helpful. But those public health officials involved are the ones guiding that, not conference commissioners."

Sankey noted that he is not worried about how the College Football Playoff selection committee will view the SEC based on certain games with contenders potentially not being able to be played, like an Alabama, Texas A&M, or Florida. 

"We always honor the process of the committee," Sankey said. "So we communicate with our points of contact. The reality is -- one thing I'm not concerned about is the respect that exists for playing a Southeastern Conference football schedule. That's not going to change. The committee, I think, has recognized that since it was created in 2014. We adopted a 10-game schedule knowing the rigor. We have teams that have played for six straight weeks dealt with that rigor, dealt with it successfully.

"I am absolutely certain that if we're able to play 10 or nine or our champions play 11 or 10, that respect at the selection committee level will continue. And that as a reminder is a comparison to what others are doing. And I will hold our approach up highly. And I think everyone respects the fact that we play an incredible level of football in the SEC, whether it's in 2020 or any of the previous years, and I'm confident it will continue in the years ahead."

His message is as clear as it's ever been throughout the pandemic -- be flexible. There is also the possibility that the schedule, as currently constructed, could see some shake ups in the coming weeks involving teams that haven't have COVID-19 outbreaks like the Crimson Tide.

That could mean a rescheduled date between Alabama and LSU could be in the works.

"The best way to answer that question is to observe what we adjusted I think almost two and a half, three and a half weeks ago on Friday we moved I think five or six games," Sankey said. "It affected the involved teams which were Florida and Vanderbilt. And it affected uninvolved teams, like Georgia and Kentucky, come to top of mind. LSU was in that as well.

"And that's going to be the reality moving forward, and the ability to adjust games and modify the schedule. And we've said this to our membership repeatedly: It will affect more than just the involved teams."

But Sankey and the league appear determined to play the conference title game on Dec. 19, while allowing non-participants of that contest to play make-up games on that date as well. 

"We have finish lines right now," Sankey said. "So my focus is on December 19th for an SEC Championship game. I've said that. The CFP semifinals are on the first of January. The championship on the 11th ... I've got to focus on trying to complete a season. At some point we have to have a finish line. At some point we have to have a finish line."