Live updates from Greg Sankey speaking and answering questions at SEC Media Days...
** Sankey starts out with a partial quote from Spicoli/Mr. Hand on Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Here's the full quote: "I've been thinking about this, Mr. Hand. If I'm here and you're here, doesn't that make it our time? Certainly, there's nothing wrong with a little feast on our time."
** He's droning on about the history of the league and the last year. Yes, we've heard about NIL and we remember Oklahoma and Texas were invited last year. USC/UCLA to Big Ten happened on first day of his vacation. So sad.
** Now he's talking philosophically about how things are changing in college athletics.
** Sankey: "The SEC is stronger now than anytime in its history." He expects fan interest to continue to grow regionally, in the U.S. and internationally.
** Football scheduling model still under consideration. Deep conversations in Destin. Focus on single-division model with 8- or 9-game conference schedule. Have to dig through a tie-breaking procedure with single division. Looking at analytics in bowl eligibility between two models. Still have time to make decision and will use time to inform decision making.
** "We can not go on as we are," in regards to current NCAA NIL policy. There is a complexity that does not lend itself to the easy button. Talks about NCAA bureaucratic issues. Trying to modernize rule book and bringing compliance issues to an end in a timely matter.
** There are great disparities in D-I such as revenue, which makes it tough to find common ground.
** Need clarity from NCAA on NIL. A patchwork of state laws is bad way to enforce NIL. Need uniform, national standards to give student athletes clarity. Football coaches want booster activity removed from NIL/recruiting. Do they really?
** There's an absence of oversight on NIL "agents" and NIL groups that approach recruits.
** Sankey said it's not up to him about the possibility of Oklahoma/Texas coming before 2025. That's up to the Big 12/both schools.
** Need a bipartisan solution to NIL in congress. Need a national solution.
** More issues with future schedules that need to be discussed and researched: imbalance of 9-game schedule, how it affects non-conference games, impact on bowl eligibility/national championship/playoffs.
** 9-game schedule makes three permanent opponents more likely.
** Engaged in conversations in regards to more expansion but don't feel pressured to add more. Happy with 16. Will listen to other schools, be thoughtful but nimble.
** "We are a super league."
** When asked directly, feels like Oklahoma/Texas addition to SEC is better than USC/UCLA to Big Ten. Did not know about USC/UCLA move until it happened.
** Is not in favor of an 8-team college football playoff that includes automatic bids because it takes away too many at-large bids. Would be in favor of a 12-team with six at-large. Would be fine with no automatic qualifiers.
** Oklahoma and Texas are involved in process of choosing scheduling model.
*****THAT'S ALL*****
** Sankey starts out with a partial quote from Spicoli/Mr. Hand on Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Here's the full quote: "I've been thinking about this, Mr. Hand. If I'm here and you're here, doesn't that make it our time? Certainly, there's nothing wrong with a little feast on our time."
** He's droning on about the history of the league and the last year. Yes, we've heard about NIL and we remember Oklahoma and Texas were invited last year. USC/UCLA to Big Ten happened on first day of his vacation. So sad.
** Now he's talking philosophically about how things are changing in college athletics.
** Sankey: "The SEC is stronger now than anytime in its history." He expects fan interest to continue to grow regionally, in the U.S. and internationally.
** Football scheduling model still under consideration. Deep conversations in Destin. Focus on single-division model with 8- or 9-game conference schedule. Have to dig through a tie-breaking procedure with single division. Looking at analytics in bowl eligibility between two models. Still have time to make decision and will use time to inform decision making.
** "We can not go on as we are," in regards to current NCAA NIL policy. There is a complexity that does not lend itself to the easy button. Talks about NCAA bureaucratic issues. Trying to modernize rule book and bringing compliance issues to an end in a timely matter.
** There are great disparities in D-I such as revenue, which makes it tough to find common ground.
** Need clarity from NCAA on NIL. A patchwork of state laws is bad way to enforce NIL. Need uniform, national standards to give student athletes clarity. Football coaches want booster activity removed from NIL/recruiting. Do they really?
** There's an absence of oversight on NIL "agents" and NIL groups that approach recruits.
** Sankey said it's not up to him about the possibility of Oklahoma/Texas coming before 2025. That's up to the Big 12/both schools.
** Need a bipartisan solution to NIL in congress. Need a national solution.
** More issues with future schedules that need to be discussed and researched: imbalance of 9-game schedule, how it affects non-conference games, impact on bowl eligibility/national championship/playoffs.
** 9-game schedule makes three permanent opponents more likely.
** Engaged in conversations in regards to more expansion but don't feel pressured to add more. Happy with 16. Will listen to other schools, be thoughtful but nimble.
** "We are a super league."
** When asked directly, feels like Oklahoma/Texas addition to SEC is better than USC/UCLA to Big Ten. Did not know about USC/UCLA move until it happened.
** Is not in favor of an 8-team college football playoff that includes automatic bids because it takes away too many at-large bids. Would be in favor of a 12-team with six at-large. Would be fine with no automatic qualifiers.
** Oklahoma and Texas are involved in process of choosing scheduling model.
*****THAT'S ALL*****
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