SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has always been an easy target for how he steers his ship, but he has the issue of a super league completely correct. During an appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show, Sankey showed pride in the "It Just Means More" conference in the ongoing title tug-of-war between the SEC and the Big Ten, which the latter is winning on the football field and basketball court in recent times. Of course, the SEC owns the baseball and softball diamonds.
On SEC Network airwaves, Sankey said he didn't want the network to resemble the Big Ten Network, which has FOX Corp as its majority owner. He also shut down the idea of a super league happening anytime soon. Per Sankey, "I do not want the SEC Network to be confused with the Big Ten Network. We have distinct networks, distinct brands, distinct histories, and we are going to continue to operate in that way. There is no discussion about a merger. There is no discussion about a super league coming from our standpoint."
There has felt like enough talk of a super league in recent weeks to really wonder, especially with a president who'd love to slap his name on it and claim he saved college football. Sankey's line on the networks feels like the only way it wouldn't progress. It's common sense. A FOX-Disney merger would not be good for anyone. Let competition create opportunities within our capitalistic society. Let's normalize not centralizing power.
Greg Sankey needs to stay the course after adding Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC. Specifically, he needs to keep expanding it.
Sankey gamed the system by adding the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners to the conference. Diamond dominance defines that addition, particularly on the softball field. Talk about taking away a revenue stream from the Big 12. On the gridiron, Texas stole the show in the transfer portal this past January, and Oklahoma is stealing the show in the 2027 high school cycle.
Sankey could finish that job with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, which would be an all-important addition. Perhaps the TCU Horned Frogs could even it out to get the SEC into the DFW. Just spit-balling there, but Texas expansion is the best way to make money in this brave new world. Cody Campbell only operates in America, not in the Middle East. In an oil shortage, via the Strait of Hormuz closure, that's who's going to be making money. Other oilmen too. TTU would be a valuable addition to the SEC, and it may even halt Campbell's push to have the sport collectively negotiate for media rights.
This all ties together in the SEC-Big Ten arms race. Since Sankey wants a clear divide from the Big Ten and everyone else, he could give the sport more reason not to make him consider branching out on his own by adding more extremely valuable schools in the Lone Star State.
The more real those threats get, the better off Sankey's conference will be in the long run.
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