Steve Sarkisian Clarifies Comments About Ole Miss: 'Poor Choice of Words'

After firing on Ole Miss' academic requirements earlier this month, the Texas head coach offered more insight on the context of his comments.

Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian gestures after a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Just two weeks ago, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian joined the fray of recent controversial comments from SEC coaches in an interview with USA Today.

On the discussion of tampering within the college football transfer portal window, Sarkisian brought up the importance of fairness in academic standards, specifically calling out the Ole Miss Rebels' program in having a lower bar of academics than Texas, resulting in an easier path in taking transfers.

"At Texas, we will only take 50% of a player's academic credit hours," Sarkisian told USA Today. "You may be a semester from graduating, but you're going all the way back to 50% if you play here and want a degree. But at Ole Miss, they can take you. All you have to do is take basket weaving, and you can get an Ole Miss degree."

On the first day of SEC spring meetings, however, Sarkisian clarified the point he was attempting to make with the controversial "basket weaving" comment.

"Poor Choice of Words" — Sarkisian Clarifies On Statements Regarding Ole Miss Academics

Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

While conceding on his choice of inflammatory words, Sarkisian doubled down on the inequities that persist within college football regarding the transfer portal on Tuesday, the first day of SEC spring meetings.

"I could have used macroeconomics. I could have used engineering. It wouldn't have mattered," Sarkisian said. "The class was irrelevant, and that was a poor choice of words on my part."

Sarkisian also said that the SEC didn't punish him over the comments.

Upon referring to the Rebels' academic standards, Sarkisian's earlier comment on "basket weaving" being enough to earn an Ole Miss degree reached a degree of contention that seems to mark this offseason for the SEC. Florida head coach Jon Sumrall hopped onto the social media platform X to join into the fray.

"Grateful to coach at a top 10 public university that also offers advanced basket weaving!" Sumrall posted.

Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter also took to social media.

"Kind of amazing how uncomfortable our success is making some people," Carter wrote.

Sarkisian, despite conceding that he made a "poor choice" in words, continued to stick to the intention of his comments. He argues that differing academic standards, especially in regards to accepting certain numbers of academic hours from transfers, results in inequities that can dampen the fairness of the transfer portal.

"I was talking about the inequities in college athletics, and one of those inequities was as it pertains to transfers, teams, and how we all can recruit certain different transfers," Sarkisian said. "...We have a rule at the University of Texas, we can only take 50% towards your degree, no matter how many hours you've completed. Other schools can take all of your hours that you take. To me, that's an inequity in our sport. Those are some of the things that we have to work through."

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