Nick Saban uses Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden to place emphasis on the current state of college football

What would Bear Bryant and Bobby Bowden think about the current state of college football?

Do you ever sit back and wonder what the former generations would think about the current state of college football? If so, you are not alone. On Monday night, former Alabama head football coach [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] referenced two of the most legendary college football coaches of all time when discussing the sport we all love.

While speaking at the 2024 Nick Saban Legacy Awards, the recently retired coach used Bear Bryant and Bobby Bowden as examples of why change is needed in college football. Not only did Saban reference the two legends, but he also pledged to do his part in working with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne to help develop a plan.

“If coach Bryant or coach Bowden could all of a sudden be with us tonight, what would they think of college football right now? That should be the very reason that we’re all very much committed to what we can do to make college football something where players can have a great quality of life, but we still have a venue where they have an opportunity to grow and learn and be successful.

“I would like to be a part of trying to help people that are working hard to make that happen like Greg Sankey. Like Greg Byrne. Like our conference commissioners are trying to do. That’s really, really important for young people, and it’s something that we’re very much committed to.”

Even though he has been retired for less than two months, Saban is proving that he wants to continue to be active in the sport he dominated for so long.

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SEC, Big Ten unveil joint advisory council to tackle issues in college sports

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the SEC and Big Ten may be mounting a challenge to the NCAA’s authority.

We may have taken a significant step toward the decentralization of the power held by the NCAA on Friday.

According to a report from Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the SEC and Big Ten are planning to form a joint advisory council that will address wide-reaching issues facing college sports. In Dellenger’s report, both SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti spoke optimistically about the ability of the advisory council to find better solutions for athletics in the future.

Dellenger elaborated on the purpose of the joint advisory council, which comes as a reaction to the changing landscape in college athletics and could serve to challenge the NCAA’s authority.

This nameless joint effort, a historic cooperative movement between the country’s most powerful leagues, is an initial step in their intent to steer the future of college athletics — the latest example of authority shifting from the NCAA’s age-old national governance model to its more prominent conferences.

The joint advisory board is tasked with tackling the most pressing challenges before the industry in what Big Ten and SEC commissioners describe as an “urgent” mission to find solutions for issues such as ongoing antitrust lawsuits, most notably the multi-billion dollar House case; disagreements over the NCAA’s new governance proposal, Project DI; and the unsettled landscape of athlete transfer movement, tampering charges and name, image and likeness (NIL) inducements.

Sankey and Petitti pushed back on the idea that this is a step toward a separation from the NCAA for the two most powerful conferences in the country, as many have speculated. Sankey said the council would not have the unilateral ability to make any declarations, but he did offer one slightly ominous thought.

“Pressures are mounting,” he said, per Dellenger. “We’re going to have conversations about what might a path forward mean for college sports.”

It’s not clear exactly what this will mean for the future of college athletics, but it’s clear that the SEC and Big Ten are trying to influence the sport even more than they already are.

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SEC to form advisory group with Big Ten Conference

According to a press release, the group will ‘address the significant challenges facing college athletics and the opportunities for betterment of the student-athlete experience.’

The NCAA’s most powerful conferences are set to join forces to address the biggest issues surrounding college athletics.

According to a press release from Associate Commissioner of the SEC, Herb Vincent, the SEC and Big Ten are set to form a joint advisory group consisting of university presidents, chancellors, and athletic directors. This advisory group hopes to “address the significant challenges facing college athletics and the opportunities for betterment of the student-athlete experience.”

The release described further the “challenges” they hope to address regarding the student-athlete experience.

“These challenges, including but not limited to recent court decisions, pending litigation, a patchwork of state laws, and complex governance proposals, compel the two conferences to take a leadership role in developing solutions for a sustainable future of college sports.”

SEC Commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag] hopes that today’s issue will become better understood through this advisory group.

“There are similar cultural and social impacts on our student-athletes, our institutions, and our communities because of the new collegiate athletics environment,” Sankey said. “We do not have predetermined answers to the myriad questions facing us.  We do not expect to agree on everything but enhancing interaction between our conferences will help to focus efforts on common sense solutions.”

NIL and the transfer portal are two of the biggest issues surrounding college sports today, especially in the world of football. The SEC and Big Ten hope to better understand the two issues and to learn how to possibly better regulate them. The SEC also says that “The advisory group will have no authority to act independently and will only serve as a consulting body.  Its composition, charter and timetable, as well as the specific questions it might examine, have yet to be determined.”

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Sensational sophomore LB Taurean York representing Texas A&M at SEC Football Leadership Council

York will represent the Aggies at the SEC Football Leadership Council on Friday and Saturday at the SEC headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama.

Despite entering only his true sophomore season, Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York‘s leadership abilities are very prominent.

Members of the Aggies Athletics Department must agree because on Thursday it was announced that York would be Texas A&M’s representative at the SEC Football Leadership Council that’s being held on Friday and Saturday at the conference’s headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama.

According to an Aggies news release, the council will meet to discuss agenda items that include a meeting with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, a review of NCAA and SEC legislative items, a conversation with SEC Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Katie O’Neal and engagement with football officials on rules of the game, student-athlete/referee interaction and careers in officiating. The group will also review SEC student-athlete engagement opportunities, per the release.

The SEC as presently constructed will be in attendance at the annual meeting with one representative from all 14 universities. Noticeably absent will be Texas and Oklahoma, who will be joining the conference at the beginning of the new school year in August.

Aside from York, one representative stands out among the rest: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith, the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner, will be present for Alabama. Other representatives include Cameron Ball (Arkansas), Eugene Asante (Auburn), Derek Wingo (Florida), Jalon Walker (Georgia), Eli Cox (Kentucky), Josh Williams (LSU), JJ Pegues (Ole Miss), Hayes Hammond (Mississippi State), Kristian Williams (Missouri), Kai Kroeger (South Carolina), Omari Thomas (Tennessee) and Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt).

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Greg Sankey explains meaning behind SEC’s ‘It Just Means More’ catchphrase

What exactly about the SEC “just means more,” in Greg Sankey’s own words?

The SEC has become synonymous in recent years with its “It Just Means More” slogan.

Fans of teams in the league have an intuitive idea what that means, but commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag] recently took the time to explain it in his own words.

“You know, it began in a creative experience with TRG, our ad firm, as we were trying to create just some spots and a tagline that fit the Southeastern Conference,” Sankey said, per On3. “We’d never hit it right. I walked in, and I said what we have doesn’t work, and I was asked, well, what do you think sets the Southeastern Conference apart, and I said, what we do just means more. They asked me to explain that.

“I actually started with our universities and their leadership role in our states over time, remembering the Southeastern Conference was created in the midst of the great depression, the economic, the educational impact, the social, the cultural impact, the sport’s impact, the rallying point that our universities represent in our region. It just struck me as having so much more depth and meaning where there might not have been major league baseball teams or NFL teams, it was a college athletics program, a college football team, a college basketball team, history you hear about college baseball and how our baseball has improved.”

The lack of major professional sports franchises in the south has played a role in growing the SEC’s already massive footprint in the region, but Sankey said the true meaning is even deeper.

It also has to do with the passion fans have for their teams and the iconic atmospheres that define the conference landscape.

“People could touch, they could feel, they could be a part of. When you’re in those moments, the pregame last Saturday, it’s probably my fifth time to be at that game at Auburn, is unlike any other. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up. When I talked about walking into Kyle Field at the end of that game between OU and Texas, they announced the score, the roar, and you find the passion around Texas A&M and that rivalry. The first time I walked into an Alabama-Texas A&M game in a brand new Kyle Field as the SEC commissioner and just felt the passion that day,” Sankey said.

“Being in Fayetteville, Arkansas, when they played Texas in 2021 by happenstance just weeks after our announcing our expansion to 16, that’s a special moment and defines it. I could go on and on, to be in the Swamp, to be in Jacksonville, the Ole Miss–Georgia game at night, Sandstorm. I’m proud of what Vandy is doing around their facilities, the sellout string at Kentucky. I was there when Missouri first captured the east division, and that crowd was palpable. I was there in ’13; that’s where I saw a kick six happen; a night game in Baton Rouge, the Egg Bowl that I was at Thursday night. You could just go on and on, and you transfer that to basketball.”

The SEC provides unique college football experiences, and it will only have more to offer in the coming years with Texas and Oklahoma joining the conference in 2024.

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Greg Sankey discusses possibility of SEC separating from NCAA

With the SEC growing in influence, many have questioned if the NCAA has outlived its usefulness in football.

With all the conference realignment over the last year and rampant speculation that we could be heading for an era of superconferences, many have questioned the NCAA’s role in the new world of college football — and particularly, whether its existence is even necessary for leagues like the SEC.

Commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag] discussed that exact question in a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

“I just left a group of legends, former SEC football players we honor this weekend, and the last question out the door was from one of our former players saying, ‘How long are you going to be a part of that?’ There’s a lot of complexities,” he said per On3. “I don’t think you just move football. That’s my view,” Sankey explained. “Because I can’t look — last year we had the highest ranked collegiate in the NBA Draft. The No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the MLB Draft. The No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft. No. 1 NFL pick. You’ve got to look them all in the eye and say, ‘We’re going to give you,’ — oh by the way, we won the Women’s Amateur, the Men’s Amateur, the British Open, you want me to go on? We won nine team championships, the CFP and eight NCAA championships.”

Sankey said he recognizes the importance of figuring out quality solutions for non-football sports and that he also sees the value in trying to work with new NCAA president Charlie Baker, who has served in his role for less than a year.

“With that being said, you have to figure out how to treat your future Olympians in a fair way too. It’d be tough to look the first round MLB pitcher in the eye and say, ‘We can’t do things for you because we’re in the NCAA. Am I asked that question? Yes. But we have to have a National Association. You know, the Association hired a new Executive Director, Charlie Baker, who (used to be a) governor (and now leading) the NCAA,” Sankey said.

“I think he deserves an opportunity to see how we might improve. He and I spoke this morning about some of the key policy issues. Am I asked? Yeah. Do I think about it? I do. Am I asked more frequently now than ever? Certainly. Does that mean we just take the leap? We’re going to give leadership a time to show leadership, and we have to figure it out after we see some direction.”

Only time will tell what the future holds in college football, but it may not include the NCAA’s leadership.

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OU-Texas the best the Big 12 has to offer in Week 6 per College Sports Wire

This weekend, it’s a big-time SEC rivalry topping College Sports Wire’s Big 12 games of the week.

We’re just a few days away from one of the great spectacles in all of sports, the Red River Rivalry.

As he does each week, Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire ranks the best matchups in each of the Power Five conferences. For the Big 12, it’s the schools departing for the SEC taking center stage.

One of the best rivalries in all of college sports is renewed on Saturday. The Oklahoma Sooners are looking for revenge in this game. Last year they fell to Texas 49-0 in a game where Dillon Gabriel was sidelined due to a concussion he suffered after a vicious hit against TCU. The team looks much improved from last year’s team that finished 6-7 but this is the first real test for OU and Brent Venables. – Conn, College Sports Wire

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and ESPN’s College GameDay will be in attendance for the greatest show college football has to offer.

It’s going to be a tight ball game. Regardless of what happened a year ago, this feels like a contest that will come down to the final few possessions. The Sooners have proven to be good on money downs and in the red zone in 2023. In order to beat Texas, they’ll have to continue that trend this week as well.

It won’t be easy, but the Sooners have an improved defense and an offense playing as well as anyone in the country. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Oklahoma return to Norman with the Golden Hat.

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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is trolling the Pac-12 and other Power Five conferences

The Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, and now the ACC have flirted with geography-busting moves. Greg Sankey is laughing at all of them.

The Big Ten and Big 12 have just expanded in ways which shatter notions of geographical balance and regional identity. The Big Ten adding Oregon and Washington destroys the map, as does the Big 12’s addition of the Arizona schools to a conference which has West Virginia and Iowa State as members.

While geography becomes less relevant in shaping the conferences, one conference has not expanded beyond its natural footprint. The Southeastern Conference has a membership group which — with the possible sole exception of Texas A&M (being near Houston in what might technically be the Southwest instead of the Southeast) — is truly southern in terms of geography. It’s true that Kentucky to Florida is a relatively long commute, but those two states are both still part of the South. The northern part of the SEC is still Southern in character.

It’s a point of pride in the SEC, as are the national championships the conference keeps winning in college football. When a conference sees the geography-changing moves occurring all around it — and when it sees the ACC considering Stanford and Cal — it is going to have a good chuckle.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey wanted everyone to know how stable and strong the SEC is earlier this week, sending a not-so-subtle message to the Big Ten, the Big 12, the ACC, and the Pac-12, as they all try to rearrange themselves in ways which make no coherent geographical sense.

It’s a way for the SEC to remind everyone who’s boss.

See how everyone reacted to Sankey’s comments on social media:

Greg Sankey not rushing to expand SEC again beyond 16 teams

The SEC seems to be sitting tight at 16 teams starting in 2024, at least for now.

In a chaotic few weeks for college football, the SEC has been notoriously quiet.

We’ve witnessed the likely collapse of the Pac-12 with Oregon and Washington heading to the Big Ten and Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah all jumping ship for the Big 12.

The wave of conference realignment that began with the SEC adding Oklahoma and Texas has caused a massive butterfly effect in the sport. And with a lot of programs feeling anxiety, could the SEC look to expand again?

ACC teams in particular have been rumored candidates, with schools like Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and Virginia all being in the discussion. However, in an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey did not seem particularly keen to expand beyond 16 teams.

“I’m not a recruiter,” Sankey said per On3. “I’ve said that repeatedly. We have a responsibility to look, from an interest standpoint, at what’s happening around us. What we did last week behind the scenes was have different types of daily communication with our campuses to say ‘Here’s what we understand is taking place.’ At the end of the week, we concluded with a video conference of our presidents and chancellors. For me, speaking today on their behalf, really strong alignment with that group.

“Very clear that there’s not something out there that we should be reaching for or engaging in… The focus is on the Southeastern Conference. How we build upon our strength, how we prepare for the year that is ahead. We’re going to be starting soccer here in the matter of days and football in the matter of weeks. And then go look at our future when we grow to 16.”

Only time will tell if the SEC ultimately sits tight at 16 or looks to expand again once the dust settles, but it’s clear that Sankey doesn’t feel like the league needs to move quickly at this time.

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Commissioner Greg Sankey doesn’t anticipate SEC expansion in the future

With the ongoing NCAA realignment becoming a hot trend, Commissioner Greg Sankey doesn’t foresee the SEC to be the latest in seeking expansion.

Despite the ongoing NCAA realignment becoming the hottest summer trend since White Claws, don’t expect the SEC to be the latest to jump in on the movement.

While appearing on The Paul Finebaum show on Tuesday, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey vocalized his sadness in response to the flurry of moves over the last week that, arguably, has the Pac-12 on the verge of collapse. As a brief refresher, Oregon and Washington were the latest schools to announce their intent to join the Big Ten in 2024, joining USC and UCLA. Meanwhile, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah all made the news official that they would be joining the Big 12 in 2024, following in the footsteps of Colorado.

The whirlwind of departures naturally begs the question of whether the SEC would follow suit in exploring expansion. But outside of adding Oklahoma and Texas in 2024, Sankey believes the conference is in healthy shape and in no need of expanding to additional timezones:

“We’re in an enormously healthy place. We’re not in the middle of the current movement efforts.”

Once the 2023 college football season draws to a close, the SEC will officially expand from 14 to 16 teams, with the additions of the Sooners and Longhorns, while foregoing the current SEC West/East format in favor of a division-less conference. The expansion in 2024 allows for the return of classic rivalries on the gridiron, such as the Lone Star Showdown between Texas A&M and Texas.

At the end of the day, conference realignment is done with one priority: revenue. Schools such as Oregon and USC are seeking more exposure and reach through the Big Ten’s established media deals, while the conferences themselves are hoping to compete with the heavyweights of the Power Five (soon to be Power Four).

The reality is that the SEC, and its respective schools, don’t have the same issues as the aforementioned programs and conferences. In an in-depth analysis of the Power Five’s athletic department’s revenue for the 2022 fiscal year, USA TODAY Sports found that the SEC led the way with an average of $159.1 million in revenue generated. The conference’s 13 public schools combined for $2.17 billion in total operating revenue, and that’s before adding the likes of Oklahoma and Texas next year.

The only rationale left for the SEC to expand would be in an effort to add the West Coast timezone to their depository. But as the conference seeks its fifth-straight national championship, it’s safe to say that those on the West Coast will gladly tune in to see the best of the best eke it out on the football field, and that means tuning into the SEC football season.

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