Sankey discusses SEC officiating after Arkansas-Mississippi State game

Commissioner addresses SEC officiating concerns at the Little Rock Touchdown Club after Razorbacks’ penalty-filled loss

An official prepares to throw a flag in the Arkansas Razorbacks game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The timing of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey’s visit to the Little Rock Touchdown Club on Tuesday was fitting.

Just three days earlier, Arkansas football had suffered a painful 38-35 loss to Mississippi State, one that included 18 penalties for 193 yards against the Razorbacks compared to just four against the Bulldogs.

Hogs fans will be jumping up and down like the players that just won the World Series the other night at the end of the game.

Sankey spoke with host David Bazzel about several league matters, but officiating quickly became one of the most discussed topics. The lopsided penalty count in Fayetteville was hard to miss, even for the league’s top official.

Sankey said he reviews box scores across the SEC after games each weekend. When he saw the discrepancy in penalties during the Arkansas-Mississippi State matchup, he knew it would draw attention.

“Just numbers doesn’t tell the full story whether they’re right or wrong, so you have to dig into that more,” Sankey said. “I’ve gone back and asked about, over the last four or five years, significant penalty differentials which have existed, what’s the high number we’ve had. That’s a responsibility I take seriously.”

The commissioner stressed that the SEC holds weekly discussions about officiating performance and improvement.

He said that while he respects the officials who work each game, the league must constantly evaluate how to uphold fairness and accuracy.

“I respect the officials on the field greatly,” Sankey said. “But every week, we have a conversation about what did we learn? How do we get better to achieve an even higher level of performance.”

Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino was visibly frustrated after the loss but chose his words carefully to avoid violating league rules that restrict public criticism of officiating.

“I do want to say something, but I can’t,” Petrino said. “That’s how they handcuff you. But I’ll just say, watch the video.”

Bobby Petrino on the sidelines during game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Sankey emphasizes accountability

This season has not been short on officiating controversies for the SEC. Earlier this fall, veteran referee Ken Williamson was suspended for the remainder of the season after multiple questionable calls during the Auburn-Georgia game.

The league also released a statement acknowledging a missed call during Auburn’s loss to Oklahoma, saying “appropriate accountability would be applied without additional comment.”

Sankey acknowledged that such situations are unfortunate but sometimes necessary to address publicly.

“I hate that,” Sankey said of having to release public statements. “But there’s times when we’ve got a set of standards when something’s just misapplied. You can’t comment on every judgment call, because it will be seen differently.”

Sankey said the conference continues to refine how it communicates its officiating reviews to the public.

The SEC publishes information about its officiating process on its website, including how games are reviewed and how accountability is enforced internally.

“We put out [on the SEC website] our weekly process in football officiating,” Sankey said. “It’s there for people to see, and our annual process of all that goes into it. Included in there is accountability.”

He compared officiating reviews to internal team discipline, suggesting that some measures are best handled privately to ensure effectiveness rather than publicity.

“What I have told our athletics directors and our head football coaches is, just like happens in our athletic programs, we have internal team discipline,” Sankey said. “Because I think it’s difficult to just put all of it out publicly and actually build confidence and help people understand what’s happening in a program. But we’re going to have to continue to think about how we communicate and adjust.”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey speaks to the media at the 2024 SEC Football Kickoff on Monday at the Omni Dallas Hotel in Dallas. | James D. Smith / SEC

Transparency, confidence remain key goals for commissioner

The commissioner’s comments underscored the fine line the SEC walks between transparency and maintaining confidence in its officials.

While Sankey did not comment directly on the Razorbacks’ game, his remarks signaled that the conference is aware of growing frustrations from teams and fans regarding officiating consistency.

For Arkansas, the frustration is going to probably last through a lot of the off-season.

The Razorbacks’ penalty-filled loss dropped them further down the SEC standings and reignited fan debates about officiating standards.

As the season continues, both coaches and fans will be watching how the SEC applies those principles, not just in the film room, but on Saturdays across the conference.

The only problem with accountability is it won't change it being another game in the loss column.

Key takeaways

• Greg Sankey addressed officiating concerns after Arkansas’ 18-penalty game against Mississippi State.
• The SEC commissioner said he reviews significant penalty discrepancies and emphasizes accountability.
• Sankey noted ongoing efforts to balance transparency with maintaining confidence in officials.