SEC extends commissioner Greg Sankey through 2026
The Southeastern Conference will maintain leadership continuity as it undergoes realignment in the next couple of years. The league has extended commissioner Greg Sankey through 2026, it announced in a statement on Thursday.
“College athletics is in the midst of a transformational period, and the SEC is fortunate to have a highly impactful leader to guide us forward at this critical time in our history,” Jere Morehead, the SEC and University of Georgia president, said in the statement. “He has effectively introduced change and advancement for the conference while respecting the institutional traditions that make the SEC unique. His leadership and ability to foster collaboration through the COVID-19 pandemic helped establish a framework for all of college sports, and those leadership skills will be critical as we move forward with change in the years ahead.”
The news comes on the heels of the announcement that Oklahoma and Texas have accepted invitations to join the SEC in the coming years. The Big 12’s grant of rights expires in 2025, but it’s very possible (and even likely) that the teams try to make their exit sooner than that.
Sankey has been the SEC commissioner since 2015, when he took over for Mike Slive. During that time, he helped negotiate the new 10-year SEC television deal with ABC and ESPN that replaces the expiring contract with CBS.
“I am grateful for the support of the SEC’s presidents and chancellors, and for the continuing opportunity to serve our universities while supporting the student-athletes of the Southeastern Conference,” Sankey said. “We are in the midst of a time of change for college athletics, and I look forward to working with the SEC’s campus leaders to identify a path forward that will sustain the incredible success of our Conference and provide opportunities for young people to grow academically and challenge themselves athletically.”
With the college football landscape potentially set to permanently change in the coming years with the fallout from SEC realignment, it makes a lot of sense that the conference wanted to secure its future. Now under a new contract, Sankey’s tenure is set to at least match Slive’s at 13 years.
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