'No Urgency in Our League': SEC Commissioner Downplays Further Conference Expansion
The future of college football remains at an impasse entering the 2022 season in large part due to expansion. By 2025, both the Big Ten and SEC will feature 16-team conferences with the additions of USC, UCLA, Oklahoma and Texas, respectively.
There's a sense that the Big Ten won't stop at 16 teams as it currently is exploring options to add Notre Dame. As for the SEC, the current 16-team model seems to be set in motion once the Longhorns and Sooners join in the coming years.
“This keeps the SEC in contiguous states, which reflects a reasonable geography and like-minded universities,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday at SEC Media Days. “There’s no sense of urgency in our league. No panic in reaction to others’ actions. We know who we are.”
Sources have told AllAggies.com that the SEC school presidents do not want to expand past adding Texas and Oklahoma. Other schools, such as Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and Miami (FL) all have been linked to the conference due to geographical location and television markets but could have a hefty fine to leave the ACC.
According to reports, for a program to leave the ACC before its current contract ends in 2036 would cost up to $500 million. Sankey stated that the landscape of college football is moving toward a "Super League" and that the SEC was already in the category with the latest additions.
When asked if the SEC could consider expansion in the future, Sankey said that the conference has been "attentive" and "engaged in conversation."
"The great news for the Southeastern Conference is people call and say, 'Hey you’re doing something special.' They kind of hint around the edges,” Sankey said. “We’ll watch what happens around us. And be thoughtful, but be nimble.”
Texas and Oklahoma made headlines roughly a year ago when they jointly announced their plan to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC. Since then, conference realignment has seen a seismic shift in the Big 12, AAC, Conference USA, and as of late, the Pac-12.
When asked if Texas and Oklahoma would leave the Big 12 early now that the conference will add four new teams in 2023, Sankey downplayed any expectations of an earlier entry.
“That’s not up to me. That’s about the relationship between Oklahoma, Texas and the Big 12,” Sankey said. “We are focused on the addition coming July 1, 2025.”
Monday’s session in Atlanta will feature LSU’s Brian Kelly, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, along with several players from each roster.
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