SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Talks Oklahoma, Texas and SEC Expansion

Sankey said the SEC is actually adding history by adding OU and Texas, rather than just expanding to get bigger.

Welcoming Oklahoma and Texas with open arms, Greg Sankey didn’t mind taking a subtle shot at his contemporaries in the Big Ten Conference on Monday at SEC Media Days.

The commissioner of the Southeastern Conference — currently the most powerful man in college athletics — discussed the Sooners and Longhorns during his time on the dais at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

“Yeah, we're in contiguous states,” Sankey said. Southeast quadrant.”

That’s clearly a veiled shot at the Big Ten’s addition this summer of UCLA and USC starting in 2024.

That news “created a few busy weeks for you and me as we tried to separate truth from fiction,” Sankey said. “You tried to figure out what your competitors knew or didn't know, what they were reporting. Tried to figure out the different agendas. You worked to post stories quickly.

“So much for our summer vacation.”

Sankey said the addition of Oklahoma and Texas will not only grow the SEC’s membership but also its profile. Yes, the crimson and cream and burnt orange do something for the SEC’s future, but they’re also additive to the league’s past.

“Those two additions actually restore rivalries,” Sankey said. “The Texas-Arkansas game last year was pretty special, but that goes back a long way. Obviously the Texas and Texas A&M rivalry will be like our in-state rivalries across the league. You have Missouri and Oklahoma that are a quarter of the Big Eight that are now part of the Southeastern Conference. And the opportunity for Arkansas and Oklahoma to play regularly.”

When a questioner asked if bringing the Sooners and Horns trumps the Big Ten’s addition of the Bruins and Trojans, Sankey agreed. Sankey is eager to have OU and Texas integrate into the Southeastern Conference culture — and not just the teams, but the fan bases, which aren’t built-in with every college football program out there.

“I think that's right. That's who we are,” he said. “Those fan bases get it. One of the very first calls I had (was) ‘Hey, we watch how you've made decisions in the Southeastern Conference and how you want to achieve as universities and athletically, and we want to be a part of that.’ Absolutely, it's right.”

Sankey said the SEC invited OU and Texas athletic directors and presidents and chancellors “into our conference call a week-and-a-half ago because this is a long-term issue that has impacts beyond just the here and now, so they could hear my analysis and ask any questions of us and hear questions asked by our campus leaders.”

He said the same invitation was issued last August to Joe Castiglione and Chris Del Conte to “attend by video” a meeting of SEC ADs “so they could hear the introduction of how we consider information around scheduling. When we've had important updates or conversation, they've been a part of that.”

He said no such invitations were issued to attend the SEC spring business meetings this year because doing so — where the media has access to attending “becomes its own story and distraction. You may recall, we had enough story lines heading into Destin already.”

Sankey did say the SEC “provided updates to them through the week” of spring business meetings.

“They've been great emerging partners in this process, talking about their interests and priorities — just as our other 14 do.”

“We’re poised to grow to 16 members on July 1, 2025. This expansion keeps the SEC in contiguous states, which supports a reasonable geography among like-minded universities and keeps us confident that fan interest will continue to grow. … There’s no sense of urgency in our league. No panic in reaction to others’ decisions. We know who we are. We are confident in our collective strength.”

Could OU and Texas join the SEC prior to their scheduled arrival date in 2025?

“That's not up to me,” Sankey said. “That's about the relationship between Oklahoma, Texas and the Big 12. We are focused on the addition being effective July 1st, 2025.”

Asked about the movement toward a “conglomeration of super leagues,” Sankey didn’t hesitate.

“We are a super league,” he said.

He’s keeping an eye on things, but doesn’t anticipate more expansion by the SEC.

“The great news for the Southeastern Conference is that people call and say, ‘Hey, you're doing something really special.’ They kind of hint around the edges,” Sankey said. “We know who we are. We're confident in our success. We're really looking forward to the expansion and being at 16 teams. Don't feel pressured to just operate at a number. But we'll watch what happens around us and be thoughtful but be nimble.”