Greg Sankey delivers subtle smackdown at SEC Media Days

From tough schedules to massive TV ratings, Sankey reminds college football fans why the SEC still sits on top.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey speaks to the media during the SEC Media Day at Omni Atlanta Hotel. | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Don’t let the fact the SEC hasn’t won the last two national championship trophies and the Big Ten has fool you. The SEC is still the best conference in nation, in football and almost every other sport.

I’ll concede lacrosse and hockey have better conferences, but that’s about it. (Side note: Am I the only person that thinks SEC hockey would be awesome?)

And what’s the point sitting at the top if you don’t show off once in a while? SEC commissioner Greg Sankey (probably) didn’t set out to flex the conference’s muscles or “dunk” on anyone. (Is that still what the kids are saying nowadays?)

But, intended or not, there were some moments Sankey did just that. Here are my four favorites:

More people watched SEC teams than any other conference

I’m not entirely certain how these numbers were reached, but Sankey dropped this nugget about TV viewership that made me raise an eyebrow:

“If you take the consumed viewership hours on linear TV, almost 40 percent of that viewership was focused on games involving Southeastern Conference universities and teams. Big Ten was next, right around 30 percent. That means with those two conferences, just over two-thirds of the total viewership of college football is embedded between the SEC and the Big Ten.”

SEC not worried about tournament expansion

Among the many, many changes being discussed with college sports is expanding the men and women NCAA basketball tournaments. Sankey didn’t say if he supported or was against expansion, but did say SEC teams will be fine.

“In general we are supportive of expanding both the men's and the women's basketball tournaments. Nothing in college basketball is static. Tournament expansion is certainly worth exploring. As last season showed, the Southeastern Conference is going to be fine whether the bracket expands or not. We had a record 14 teams selected to participate in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, after what is, without question, a historically successful regular season. We had 10 teams, tying our own record, selected to participate in the NCAA women's basketball tournament.

"We're going to be fine, but we think there are enough quality teams to make this growth appropriate.”

Anybody want to trade schedules with an SEC team?

SEC teams have the 12 hardest schedules in the upcoming season, based on strength of schedule, and all 16 are in the top 20 of those rankings. The only four other teams ranked in the top 20 are Wisconsin, Syracuse, Ohio State and UCLA.

Other teams may say they’d swap schedules with an SEC team, but its doubtful any actually would if given the chance. Sankey, apparently, agrees.

“It is absolutely, fully, 100 percent correct that in the SEC we play eight conference games while some others play nine conference games. Never been a secret. Second, it's also correct that last season all 16 members of the Southeastern Conference played at least nine games against what you would label "power opponents." We had several that played 10 of their 12 games against power opponents. Some conferences have that, some don't.

"I don't believe there's anyone looking to swap their conference schedule and its opponents with the opponents played by SEC Conference teams in our conference schedule, be it eight or nine.”

Don’t need to play international games

One thing I hadn’t thought about was if the SEC would ever play an international game, like how some teams have played games in Dublin, Ireland. Sankey was asked about the possibility of SEC teams playing an international game and he didn’t say no, but did make good points that basically says the SEC doesn’t need to play international games.

First, he talked about the importance of SEC games being played where they’re currently played. From the environment, pageantry of playing on campuses to the financial impact businesses get from the games, Sankey laid out some good reasons.

But his best comment about internation games came at the end.

“I also think we do a pretty good job internationally on our own with just drawing interest because, doggone, it's compelling. We are not boring and dull, I can tell you that.”

If there’s one thing fans of SEC teams aren’t complaining about, it’s being bored.