LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- He didn't loosen his tie or hike up his socks. But Greg Sankey still delivered the closest thing college football has to a Fed meeting.
He's not just the commissioner of the SEC. He's the central voice in college sports — the one everyone listens to even when he's vague. Especially when he's vague.
He's like Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Fed. We parse his statements for meanings. Hints of a rate cut. Impending realignment. Playoff expansion. Congressional action.
Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Eric Crawford
On Monday, Sankey opened the 2025 edition of SEC Football Media Days with a 45-minute blend of history, policy, metaphor, media praise, playoff posturing and gentle jabs at his peers. He didn't drop any bombs. At best, he dropped a few hints.
He spoke of the marathon that is the NCAA settlement, the "messy middle" that college athletics is trudging through and the need for structure in a time of chaos.
Classic Sankey is part humble brag, part messing up your hair to remind you that his is the most powerful conference in the room — even when he's trying to sound collaborative.
"I have run and finished 41 marathons in my lifetime," he said. "It's been a while, but I do remember the importance of getting off to the right kind of start ... We're in the middle of change, and, in the middle of anything significant, it will get messy."
A few directional signs — and a Sankey-ism or two — were worth holding onto.
Here's what stood out:
"Welcome to a Super Conference"
If there was one line that felt the most like classic Sankey, it was this:
"For those of you who like to speculate about super conferences — welcome to one."
That wasn't in response to a question. That was in the prepared remarks.
He backed it up with numbers — 40% of all college football viewership involving SEC teams last season, nine national championships across 22 sports and attendance dominance in nearly every major category.
It was a subtle flex but a meaningful one. The SEC's consolidation of power isn't just a reality — it's a brand. And Sankey is its most important spokesman.
On Big Ten Relations: "We all talk a lot"
ESPN's Heather Dinich asked Sankey a direct question about the SEC and Big Ten's shared control over future College Football Playoff formats. His answer showed both candor and caution. It's no secret the leagues favor different makeups for an expanded playoff.
"We had a different view coming out of Destin (conference meetings) on the subject of allocations," he said.
He said the two leagues talk constantly — "probably four out of five days last week with (Big Ten commissioner) Tony (Petitti)," he noted — and he emphasized their joint authority in shaping the playoff's future.
"We don't need unanimity, and, ultimately, if not, there's a level of authority granted to the Big Ten and SEC together," he said. "But there's a lot to that. It's not like you just show up and pound your fist and something happens. I hope that that type of narrative can be reduced. But we'll keep talking. We all talk a lot, probably too much, sometimes, right?"
He didn't sound confrontational. But he didn't sound like he was giving up ground, either.
"Mic-walk you back" — On playoff expansion
Sankey was asked if the CFP might expand again beyond the 12-team format that debuted last year. His response was light but not dismissive. Perhaps it was given with a wink, knowing Sankey has been for expansion from the start.
"Let me mic-walk you back," he said. "But I've always been a fan of taking the top eight, top 12, top 14, even top 16. We think growth beyond 12 can be positive and should be pursued."
He also praised recent changes to seeding and selection protocols and said ongoing discussions around metrics like "strength of record" are promising.
On SEC scheduling: "Five plus nine?"
Sankey confirmed the league still hasn't decided whether to move from eight to nine conference games — but said the format of the playoff will heavily influence the final decision.
"Understanding how the CFP will evaluate strength of schedule and even strength of record is critically important in our decision-making," he said.
He said a decision on eight or nine SEC games for 2026 hasn't yet been made but noted that he thinks teams are playing tough enough schedules either way, while taking a not-so-subtle jab at other leagues:
"I don't believe there's anyone looking to swap their conference schedule and its opponents with the SEC. ... I handed out a bunch of stats that created a stir in Destin that showed there's a rigor here that is unique in the SEC. We're not lacking for quality competition among our 16 football teams but we're going to continue to evaluate whether increasing the number of conference football games is appropriate for us."
On the chaos of the moment: "There's no easy button"
Before launching into a long list of challenges facing college athletics — lawsuits, transfer eligibility, gambling rules, congressional legislation, collective bargaining, CFP logistics, NIL structure, and more — Sankey offered this:
"There's no easy button for dealing with the complexities we face."
He likened the House settlement to a marathon — one he's still in the early miles of — and said implementation will be messy, but structure is needed.
"I've asked repeatedly in conference meetings, if we don't want any limits or any structure, just let me know," Sankey said. "Then the phone stops ringing. But over and over again in meeting rooms, the desire has been for a structure, and so we are implementing a structure, even with some bumps in the road."
On the transfer portal: "The airport question"
Of all the issues Sankey hears about, one comes up more than the rest.
"The most frequent question I'm asked — including in airports — is, 'What are you going to do about the transfer portal?'"
He didn't offer an answer. But it was notable how high it landed on his priority list.
"Right now, we have congressional activity," he said. "We wonder what might be the next state law to be introduced? Or the next lawsuit we're interested in, litigation that has resulted in individuals being eligible to participate in college sports well into their mid 20s, that starts to remove opportunities for aspiring high school athletes."
On NCAA tournament expansion
Sankey expressed support for expanding both the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments, but kept expectations in check.
"We think there are enough quality teams to make this growth appropriate. But you don't just jump into it," he said.
He pointed out the SEC's recent success — 14 men's teams and 10 women's teams in the fields last season — and said the league will be fine whether the brackets expand or not.
On private equity proposals: "This is real life"
Asked about outside financing and so-called "Super League" models, Sankey was unequivocal.
"This is not a finance project for someone's MBA. This is real life."
He said the SEC has met with banks, private equity firms, and venture capital groups for nearly three years — and has yet to see a model that's viable.
"You know, the question, what problem you're trying to solve and what's the substance of the solution?" Sankey said. "What's the downside?"
Final Word: "College athletics is not broken"
Sankey closed his remarks with a simple, firm message: "College athletics is not broken. It is under stress."
He said the answers to today's challenges won't come from "courtrooms or commentators" — and definitely not from "sudden experts."
What's needed, he said, is structure, shared responsibility, and a renewed commitment to the values that once defined college sports — even as the system continues to change.
"We remain both proud of what we've achieved and excited about our future," he said. "That future is not something we wait for. It is something we seek to shape."
There may be no one with a bigger role in shaping it than Sankey.
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