Goodman: Time is running out for the SEC’s Greg Sankey

This is an opinion column.

As the SEC spring meetings kick off in Destin, Florida, the shine on commissioner Greg Sankey is starting to dull. With athletic directors, league presidents, coaches, and television executives descending on the coast this week, the pressure on Sankey to deliver is mounting.

The SEC's New Reality

While debates over playoff expansion size might be the focus of some, the real concern is much more foundational: the SEC simply isn't the juggernaut it once was. The conference is losing its grip on the recruiting trail, and the long-term outlook for the league remains murky. Instead of aggressively addressing these systemic issues to justify his salary, Sankey appears focused on maintaining the traditional, yet increasingly outdated, SEC championship game.

The competitive decline is undeniable. Alabama and the SEC were embarrassed by Indiana in the Rose Bowl, and the league failed to place a single team in the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four. With the Big Ten asserting dominance and schools like Notre Dame, Miami, and Texas Tech finding ways to keep pace, SEC leadership must provide concrete solutions to ensure the league's financial future.

A Path Toward Collective Bargaining

It has been a full year since Tennessee athletics director Danny White and chancellor Donde Plowman first signaled that collective bargaining with players is the only viable path forward. As White noted, it is the singular solution for the modern era. If Sankey refuses to pivot toward this strategy and remains fixated on seeking federal intervention, he may find himself on thin ice.

Some are already looking for fresh vision, and it is worth asking if leaders like White should be at the helm to navigate a collective-bargaining agreement. Simply waiting out the meetings in Destin won't fix the competitive disparity that saw the Tide suffer a 38-3 defeat to Indiana. The time for empty rhetoric about the federal government is over; it is time for a real strategy, perhaps even a total departure from the NCAA.

Politics and Performance

Sankey's reliance on congressional assistance is complicated by his silence on critical social issues. While he focuses on lobbying, there remains a glaring lack of diversity in the coaching ranks, with no Black football coaches in the SEC for the past six years. As the league operates within the conservative Deep South, its reliance on Republican legislative support appears to outweigh other considerations, keeping the focus away from the urgent need for competitive and social reform.

With the transfer portal window opening in December, the clock is ticking for the SEC. The league's presidents and chancellors, whose own reputations are tied to these athletic programs, are starting to ask the hard questions. Does Sankey have the answers, or is the conference headed for a change in leadership?

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