COLLEGE STATION, Texas − SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey took in the pageantry of the Florida football vs Texas A&M matchup on Oct. 11 before 105,086 at Kyle Field.
The No. 4 Aggies (6-0, 3-0 SEC) remained one of the two remaining unbeaten teams in the SEC following a 34-17 drubbing of the Florida Gators. No. 5 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC) is the other.
From there, it’s a jumbled mix of one-loss teams in the SEC including No. 6 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC), which lost to Florida State, No. 7 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC), which lost to Alabama, No. 10 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC), which lost to Ole Miss and No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC), which lost to Georgia.
Despite the early league parity, Sankey is confident that the new strength of record component in the College Football Playoff rankings will result in more conference teams making the CFP Field. Last year, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas were the only three conference teams to make the CFP, with three-loss teams Alabama, South Carolina and Ole Miss left out in the cold.
“I’ll go back to strength of schedule, strength of record,” Sankey said. “The adjustment made by the CFP is important to us to see how that plays out, you look at our league there was one time we had 11 of the Top 25. By any definition that’s disproportionate and highly competitive. I think we’re now at nine or 10.
“Our games are intense. I saw Alabama-Missouri most of it when I was in my office earlier today, three-point game, I think all of our games being played right now are within one score and that’s good football, and I think that’s unique in the nation.”
Why SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is in favor of SCORE Act
Sankey was made available prior to the game to discuss the SCORE Act, which has been introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives. The bill’s intent is to “protect the name, image, and likeness rights of students athletes to promote fair compensation with respect to intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes.”
Key tennants of the proposed bill include establishing federal standards for NIL, regulations for agents representing college athletes, healthcare for ex-athletes up to three years after leaving school and requiring a minimum of 16 varsity teams for schools. Sankey was among 31 conference commissioners that signed a letter to Congress urging for the bill’s passage.
Sankey said the most feedback he’s received from players and coaches in the NIL era centers on fairness of competition across schools from different states that are governed by different NIL laws.
“They want to know if I’m playing for Florida, and I’m lining up against Texas A&M, or if I’m lining up for Texas A&M playing Florida, we just want to know our opponents are held to the same standard,” Sankey said. “Second it supports the economic opportunities that have been provided, there is some player-sports sponsorship that has been embedded.
“I do think state pre-emption is important the ability to have that to meet the request which I think is really common sense by our student-athletes to know the opponent is playing by the same rules they are.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: SEC Commissioner talks league parity, SCORE Act, prior to Florida football vs TAMU game
Reporting by Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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