Vols Should Learn Fate of Cade Mays For 2020 Soon, SEC Vote Scheduled for Today

"There is a very direct rule that says if you transfer from School A to School B in the SEC, you serve an academic year-of-residence (before said player is eligible to play). There is a set of NCAA oddity exceptions. Then in 2018, our membership created two more, one for grad transfers, and one for individuals on teams that face postseason bans. And people send in waivers, but one of the questions that should be asked is not what is the commissioner going to do. It's why haven’t our members voted to change that rule?"

Greg Sankey said this last week, and it appears the members of the SEC listened.

Late yesterday evening, sources indicated to VR2 on SI that the league presidents would meet today to discuss and vote on the intra-conference transfer rule. This source was correct, as the fate of Cade Mays, Joey Gatewood, and Otis Reese's 2020 season hinges on the vote by the league presidents.

During a press conference today, Kentucky's Mark Stoops told reporters that he expected, "we'll have a decision relatively quickly on that, but it is at the president level."

Just moments after Stoops' statement, Jeremy Pruitt was asked if he knew anything about the meeting. "I have not heard that," Pruitt simply responded.

Lane Kiffin told reporters, "I think this vote is happening today. I think we're supposed to find out. That would obviously change things."

Kiffin added, "I obviously understand what it was-- people didn't want people transferring in the conference, but that's not what it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be about the student-athlete. There is a circumstance where a kid wins an NCAA waiver, the SEC, in my opinion, shouldn't be blocking that. I just think it was because it was set in stone years ago to block kids. That's why they are reviewing it because there's obviously people that feel the same."

Kiffin's mention of winning an NCAA waiver and having to await the SEC is not in regard to one of his players, as Otis Reese, unlike former teammate Cade Mays has not won a waiver from the NCAA yet.

It sounds like the Vols will know the official status of Cade Mays within hours, which would give them plenty of time to implement him into the lineup. The Vols do not have a scheduled practice for today.

The SEC front-office has not responded to our questions at this time regarding the meeting, but when they do, this article will be updated with the information.