SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey joins Dan Patrick on The Dan Patrick Show. He talks about the crazy offseason with USC and UCLA announcing their move to the Big Ten and the changing landscape of college athletics. They discuss the long-term future of the NCAA as a governing body, the future of athletic conferences, and the need for consistency and adaptability moving forward. And he reiterates that, despite gentle but persistent inquiries from other universities, the SEC is not actively looking to expand beyond sixteen teams.
Dan Patrick: “When’s the last time you had a university reach out to you to join the SEC?”
Greg Sankey: “Nobody calls and says, ‘Can I join?’ It usually begins with a conversation, ‘Hey, how ya doing, wanted to talk through some key issues...’ and then, at the end, ‘Hey, if anything ever changes, let me know.’”
Dan: [LAUGHTER]
Greg: “And what I tried to communicate at our media days is, we are really confident in who we are. We’re committed and convinced we made two really wise additions and I think that shows itself to be true right now in the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas.”
Dan: “But when was the last time you had that conversation?”
Greg: “Last week.”
Dan: “Last week you had a president...?”
Greg: “...No, it’s different folks. ‘Hey, how ya doing? If you ever think about it, keep us in mind,’ which is a compliment. We’re not out on the recruiting trail; we’re not looking to go beyond sixteen. There’s not some magic number. And that’s where I say Dan, we’re confident and comfortable in the decisions we’ve made so far.”