SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on Wednesday “reiterated that his conference leaders have had conversations about self-governance,” but that “the idea of the SEC creating its own rules is ‘not new’ and ‘it’s not a breakaway’ from the NCAA.” The “preference within the SEC and other leagues remains getting help from Congress in the form of federal legislation.” Following Sankey’s opening comments at the lectern Monday at the beginning of SEC media days, sources said that “there have been additional conversations about the SEC considering playing entirely conference games in all sports.” Sankey, though, “warned of broader national implications, including potential legal problems for the conference.” He pointed to the “importance of the NCAA-run championships in all sports except football.” Sankey: “I know that if there was just a breakaway, we’d be in front of Congress explaining ourselves there, and so that is not a leading issue. Has it been talked about? I was honest in answering that: Yes. But why do they talk about that? Because there’s frustration” (ESPN.com, 7/22).
Sankey: SEC self-governance talks ‘not a breakaway’ from NCAA
