Tag: Greg Sankey

Paul Finebaum criticizes Kirby Smart for ‘out of line’ behavior

SEC analyst Paul Finebaum was not happy with Kirby Smart’s comment to SEC commissioner Sankey.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is known for being outspoken. After Georgia’s victory over Texas in the SEC championship, that outspoken side of him showed when he took a shot at SEC commissioner Greg Sankey.

“It means rest for a team that Greg Sankey and his staff sent on the road all year long,” Smart said. “We get to take a little bit of a break and get ready for the College Football Playoff. This team needs some rest mentally, needs a little time off.”

Georgia has played a tough schedule on the road this year. Both of the Bulldogs losses came against Alabama and Ole Miss on the road, and the Bulldogs’ first game against Texas was also on the road.

Sankey did not appreciate the shot. Cameras showed him scowling at Smart after the comment. SEC football analyst Paul Finebaum didn’t appreciate it either.

“I think everybody knows my affinity for Kirby Smart, but I, frankly, thought he was out of line for blasting the commissioner standing right next to him, presenting the trophy,” Finebaum said on Monday. “What was the point of taking a cheap shot at the commissioner of the SEC who did not do that schedule?”

“… For Kirby Smart who rarely makes an error, I thought it was really below the belt. Can you not say that without calling out the guy next to you who’s handing out the championship trophy?”

For what it’s worth, Georgia will play Ole Miss, Alabama, and Texas at home in 2025. Still, judging by Sankey’s body language, the SEC commissioner was not happy about the comment.

https://www.instagram.com/ugasports_com/reel/DDTkVyyItuI/

Kirby Smart trolled Greg Sankey to his face during Georgia’s SEC championship celebration

Cue the Curb Your Enthusiasm music.

Georgia won the 2024 SEC championship game on Saturday in Atlanta over Texas in overtime, which is pretty sweet for Bulldogs fans.

However, what happened afterward might have been even sweeter for the pettiest of fans.

Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart used his victory speech to rip into the SEC and its commissioner, Greg Sankey, while the latter was standing right by him.

While Smart was basking in the celebration of another Georgia SEC championship, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge asked him about the team getting a first-round bye ahead of the College Football Playoff.

Smart took the opportunity to throw some very clear shade at Sankey and the SEC for what he felt were disadvantages with Georgia’s schedule.

“Well, it means rest for a team that Greg Sankey and his staff sent on the road all year long,” a fired-up Smart told Rutledge… all while Sankey was literally standing right there.

One of the game’s camera operators hysterically panned over to Sankey after Smart’s sharp jab, and he looked kind of done with the whole ordeal.

Seriously, this was like something from The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm. How awkward!

To be fair to the SEC, Georgia only had four road games in the regular season, and one of those games was at Kentucky.

Sure, games at Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss aren’t necessarily easy, but great teams find a way win those and not complain, y’know?

It’s football in the SEC; you’re going to have tough road games. You got to have your conference championship game in your home state! Relax, dude!

As for Sankey, he may want to talk to Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti about his fracas with former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh last year.

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Greg Sankey gives strict warning to SEC head coaches over ‘feigned injury nonsense’

SEC commisioner Greg Sankey is fed up with the uptick in ‘feigned injuries’ in SEC play this season

The 2024 SEC football season has been chaotic, to say the least. Texas A&M (7-1, 5-0 SEC) currently leads the conference amid head coach Mike Elko’s first season with the program, while Ole Miss has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons as of late.

On Friday, the issue of “fake injuries” came back into the fold after several occurrences during SEC play, specifically under the watch of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. However, none of this can be proven, as injuries in any form result in a free timeout.

However, from the handful of questionable injuries we’ve seen throughout conference play, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has had enough, calling out the problem in a newly leaked memo reported by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg while outlining several new punishments, including fines and even public reprimands for the coaches and players involved if the problem continues.

While the memo felt like a personal grievance from both a commissioner’s point of view and a general fan of the game, Sankey ended his thoughts with a final warning to the league:

“Play football and stop with the feigned injury nonsense.”

Overall, “feigned” or “fake” injuries have been an eye score for every fan base who wants to see a clean game, but it’s not like this hasn’t been a problem in the past, so we’ll now wait and see if Sankey’s warning has any effect.

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SEC to provide public availability reports beginning in 2024

SEC to provide public availability reports for multiple sports beginning in 2024.

The Southeastern Conference announced changes to the upcoming athletics calendar.

SEC schools will provide public reports on availability of student-athletes to participate in each conference game in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball. Public reports will begin with the 2024 SEC football season.

“This availability reporting policy is intended to reduce pressure from outside entities seeking participation information and represents a commitment of our 16 institutions to provide enhanced transparency to support efforts to protect our student-athletes and the integrity of competition,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said.

SEC press release:

According to a policy approved by the Conference’s membership, SEC schools will be required to submit availability reports three days prior to each Conference football game (beginning on Wednesday in advance of a Saturday football game) with daily updates leading to a final report 90 minutes prior to game time. In the sports of basketball and baseball, reports will be filed the night before each SEC contest with an update on game day.

Under the reporting structure, prior to game day, student-athletes will be designated as “available,” “probable,” “questionable,” “doubtful,” or “out” for their next game. To provide additional clarity on game day, student-athletes will be designated as “available,” “game time decision,” or “out” for the upcoming game.

Football school availability reports will be posted on the SEC’s website at SECsports.com/FBreports.

Failure to provide accurate and timely availability reports will subject schools to potential penalties ranging from $25,000 for a first offense to $100,000 for a third and further offenses in football, and a maximum of $15,000 to $25,000 in men’s and women’s basketball and baseball.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

9-game SEC schedule talks reportedly reignited at 2024 SEC Media Days

There’s reportedly some renewed momentum to expand the SEC football league slate.

When the SEC held its media days last summer, one of the biggest topics of conversation regarded whether the league would remain at an eight-game conference schedule or move to a nine-game format as some other leagues have done.

Some reporting indicated commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag] was in favor of such a change. However, it was unpopular among some conference members, and no change was ultimately made.

While fans can’t expect a decision on that any time soon, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported that the topic has been reignited at SEC Media Days with some programs that previously opposed an expanded league schedule being more open to the idea now.

Dellenger said that a decision would likely be made next season after seeing one year of the expanded College Football Playoff format.

LSU and other SEC teams will only be playing eight conference games this fall, but it seems there’s a decent chance this will be the last season in which that’s the case.

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SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he talked to Paul Skenes at MLB All-Star weekend

Greg Sankey stepped away from SEC Media Days to catch the Home Run Derby in Arlington on Tuesday night.

Paul Skenes added the latest accomplishment to his already impressive career on Tuesday, becoming the first rookie to start the MLB All-Star Game as a pitcher since 1995.

That All-Star festivities were held in Arlington, Texas, and it just happened to coincide with the 2024 SEC Media Days, which are being held in Dallas this week in anticipation of Texas and Oklahoma’s addition to the SEC.

SEC commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag] managed to slip away from his duties to catch the Home Run Derby, and that included catching up with Skenes, who turned in one of the best pitching seasons in league history.

“It was neat, in the fact at the Home Run Derby I sat down in the third base dugout with our T-Mobile friends. They were kind enough to host us there and Paul ended up sitting right in front of me,” Sankey said per On3. “They had all the All-Stars out in their team uniforms, which you knew everybody was, and so we had a five-minute chat.

“We were talking about Hoover, and Omaha, and his experience pitching in the SEC, and then you watch him walk out there to start a Major League Baseball game. You’re like, he was in that police motorcade to and from the Wynfrey a little over a year ago. So great for him, great for the league.”

After striking out 200 batters with a sub-2.00 ERA as LSU’s ace in 2023, Skenes quickly rose through the minors and made his Major League debut earlier this season.

He’s still undefeated as a starter and currently holds a sub-2.00 ERA at the highest level of baseball.

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Greg Sankey immediately got asked if the SEC was going to penalize ‘Horns Down’ celebrations against Texas

Asking the important questions.

July 1 officially marked a major shift in the college sports landscape with (now-former) Big 12 giants Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners joining the SEC. And let me tell ya, reporters did not wait to ask SEC commissioner Greg Sankey the important question:

Will “Horns Down” still be a penalty?

Sankey met with the media on Monday to welcome the conference’s two newest programs. And anyone who has been familiar with the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry knows that the “Horns Down” celebration has been the go-to gesture from Sooners fans — and any Longhorns opponent, really — to mock Texas. It even happened when Alabama players walked off the field following an early season loss to Texas.

But in the Big 12, it was an unsportsmanlike penalty to do the “Horns Down” gesture in games. That had SEC reporters wondering if the same policy would apply in Texas’ new conference. Sankey wasn’t exactly rushing to answer that question on Day 1.

Let’s hope Sankey allows the “Horns Down” to stand. It’s harmless banter, and the “Horns Up” celebration invites that response. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see the “Horns Down” get the same treatment as what we saw in the Big 12.

After all, sportsmanship is a priority.

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Oklahoma announces celebration information for official SEC move

The Sooners are a matter of days away from officially being a member of the SEC. The university has plenty of events planned to celebrate joining OU’s new conference.

The Oklahoma Sooners will officially join the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag] on July 1. OU has been working toward this day since the summer of 2021. The university plans to celebrate the big day with plenty of activities. Details for the event can be found at SoonerSports.com.

According to the school, “The celebration will feature a full slate of fun activities for fans of all ages on OU’s Norman campus, including SEC Network programming, the athletics department’s popular summer equipment sale and open houses at the Barry Switzer Center and Love’s Field, with additional morning events in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It will culminate with a free and family-friendly “Party In The Palace from 5-10 p.m. inside [autotag]Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium[/autotag], with live music, appearances from SEC Commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag], OU President [autotag]Joseph Harroz Jr.[/autotag] and OU Vice President and Director of Athletics [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] and a drone show above [autotag]Owen Field[/autotag].”

President Harroz Jr. expressed his excitement about the Sooners finally making the move to the SEC:

“Entering the Southeastern Conference marks a transformative new era for the University of Oklahoma and all of Sooner Nation,” said Harroz Jr. “This day of celebration is a tribute to our iconic traditions, relentless pursuit of excellence and the indomitable spirit of Sooner Magic. We can’t wait to bring our passion and pride to the SEC, and this event provides the perfect opportunity for the OU Family to come together and celebrate all that lies ahead.”

Castiglione also addressed the exciting time surrounding the athletic department and the school as a whole:

“This day is years in the making, so it’s appropriate for us to come together and celebrate,” added Castiglione. “We couldn’t be more excited to join the SEC. Our teams are poised for success and look forward to the competition with many of America’s most outstanding universities. At Oklahoma, we have a story to tell, and we’re invigorated by the opportunity with which we’re presented to share with the world what makes OU so special. Our resolute commitment to our student-athletes and their success and to our fans and their experience will only strengthen with this move. We can’t wait to welcome thousands of new people to our community as well as spread Sooner Magic throughout the SEC.”

In addition, the university has planned a “Race to the SEC 5K Glow,” which begins on June 30. There’s a “Midnight Madness Sale,” during which fans can get SEC-licensed merchandise, and a “Shop and Hop Challenge,” in which businesses that participate will sell OU/SEC merchandise for the first time. Each business will contribute a $25 gift card for a customer drawing.

The university has also announced that parking will be free to the public in certain areas. Students are encouraged to participate, with more details about a celebratory event featuring a musical artist scheduled near the start of the fall semester coming in the near future.

Head to SoonerSports.com for the full list of events happening June 30 and July 1 to commemorate Oklahoma moving into the SEC.

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Greg Sankey says SEC has paused discussions about 2026 schedule

It remains to be seen whether the SEC will remain at eight league games or move to nine in 2026.

Before the SEC announced its scheduling format for a post-expansion reality, there were a lot of questions about what a 16-team conference schedule would look like.

Some thought the league would move to a nine-game conference slate, as several other leagues such as the Big Ten have done. But while that remains a possibility in the future, the SEC opted to remain at eight games for at least the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

When it comes to 2026, though, a lot is still up in the air. Speaking at SEC spring meetings in Destin, Florida, this week, commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag] said scheduling would continue to be a topic of conversation this week.

“Given all that’s happening around us, scheduling kind of is out there (to be determined later), and we continue to talk about it,” Sankey said, per On3.

Sankey also seemingly implied that part of the hangup is getting more money from ESPN for an extra conference game, something the league has clearly been working on a pitch for.

“We had conversations with ESPN’s leadership a couple weeks ago just to re-engage, to help them understand that if we stay at eight what’s absent from the schedule,” Sankey said.

It’s yet to be seen what the future will hold for this conference, but it’s clear that with so many moving parts, there is an element of improvisation going on. We’ll see if this week’s meetings lead to any further clarity.

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Greg Sankey says SEC is considering implementing injury reports

LSU adopted NFL-esque injury reporting in 2023, and that could soon be standard across the SEC.

LSU coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] made an interesting move ahead of the 2023 season to make the injury reporting process more transparent, much like it is at the professional level.

Kelly would update players’ statuses on Monday and Thursday, designating them as probable, questionable, doubtful or out. He would also provide information on the affected part of the body, though he didn’t go into specifics.

LSU isn’t the only program that’s done this, and Kelly has said he thinks it could become standardized. At the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Florida, commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag] said the league is considering adopting similar measures.

“We are going to have a discussion about student-athlete availability reporting,” Sankey said, per On3. “Members of our staff have been working on this project, really since last summer. I referenced some considerations that we would have. That doesn’t mean there’s going to be a decision. In fact, you should not expect a decision. But you should expect a discussion.”

While it seems unlikely such a change would be implemented for the 2024 season, it does seem inevitable in the long run. This issue becomes especially important with the proliferation of gambling as a way to discourage sports betting within the building by limiting the amount of inside information that exists.

We don’t know when or if this will be eventually adopted by the SEC, but it’s clear it will be one of several topics on the docket this week in Destin.

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