SEC Spring Meetings Most Important In Conference History? Greg Sankey's 'Good Of Game' Comment Set The Stage

DESTIN, Fla. - This might end up being the most important SEC Spring meeting in recent memory, as conference officials, athletic directors and coaches meet in Destin, Florida over the next three days to discuss the future of college athletics. 

Right now, you cannot go a single day without hearing about the upcoming House settlement, which has not yet been approved, or how schools across the country are preparing for this new era of collegiate athletics with revenue-sharing on the way. 

While that is certainly the most important topic of these meetings, there will be plenty of conversations surrounding how the conference decides to move forward with a nine-game schedule in college football. There are so many questions that still need to be answered, as athletic directors try to piece together how they will approach the next twelve months, and longer. 

When asked about how other conferences perceive the SEC, with the public perception being that they are only looking out for themselves, Greg Sankey took issue with the Big 12 and ACC releasing statements to outlets last week following the approval of a straight-seeding format.

"I don't need lectures from others about the good of the game. I don't lecture others about the good of the game," Sankey noted during his opening press conference before meetings began. "And, coordinating press releases about the good of the game. Ok, you can issue your press statements, but I'm actually looking for ideas to move us forward."

And off we go for the next four days. 

Make no mistake about it, we are seeing a massive change in how schools do business in real time. There is no more waiting, as college athletics undergoes a major overhaul. In past years, the conference has dealt with pretty minor problems compared to what we will see this year. 

Here are a few items that will be of the upmost importance as administrators sit in a cold ballroom inside the Hilton San Destin resort. 

Revenue Sharing With Athletes, As Schools Will Start To Cut Checks

We are witnessing a massive moment in history, as colleges across the country prepare to start paying athletes directly, while athletic directors search for different ways to afford this new measure. 

The problem that some athletic directors will face inside each room over the next few days is whether they will abide by the rules set forth in the House settlement, if approved. As we reported last week, the State of Tennessee passed a law that protects in-state schools from any type of fallout from the House settlement. This means that if a school like Tennessee or Vanderbilt doesn't agree with some of the enforcement rules that will be put into place by the ‘College Sports Commission’, they have a way not to follow them. 

It's really as simple as that. If Tennessee decides that they do not agree with a rule pertaining to NIL, and want to pay its players more, they can use the cover given by state law to not follow the orders. Right now, conferences are trying to get everyone in agreement on a binding document that would serve as a platform for schools to not sue the new, but not yet established, ‘College Sports Commission’ for issues related to the new rules set forth. 

Each school will be distributing around $20 to $22 million to their athletes starting in July. And plenty of schools have said they will do this with or without the House settlement approved. 

And there has obviously been push back from athletic directors within the conference on this binding agreement that could see them punished if they do not sign the actual document that is still being formulated. If we're honest, this is something that could force schools into a courtroom over rules they perceive to be overbearing, or unfair towards how revenue-sharing is governed. 

The train is barreling down the tracks towards these schools, and they are still trying to come up with a plan to pay the student athletes. Just one year ago, this would've been illegal, and the NCAA would have hit them hard with sanctions. But now, with July 1st rapidly approaching, athletic departments will be cutting checks to their players, which is absolutely crazy if you truly think about it. 

College Football Playoff Has Caused A Divide Between Conferences

We all knew this day was coming when other conferences signed an agreement to give the SEC and Big Ten a majority of the power when it comes to the college football playoff, starting in 2026. 

Right now, there is a battle ongoing around the topic of automatic qualifiers, and how the playoff format will be agreed upon. There is a ‘Survivor Series’ type match that is occurring right in front of our eyes, with the Big 12, ACC and others against the SEC and Big Ten. 

Currently, the SEC and Big Ten are pushing the "4-4-2-2-1" format, which would see each of those two conferences receive four automatic bids to the college football playoff. Well, as you can imagine, the ACC and Big 12 are not pleased. They want three bids, and even though they agreed to allow the SEC and Big Ten to technically run the show, commissioners from the Big 12 and ACC are pushing back, in a hard way.

While we will see ‘straight-seeding’ for the 2025 playoff, that only pertains to the upcoming season, as we are headed towards another expansion of the postseason.  

The problem for those not in the SEC or Big Ten is that the MOU they signed last year holds an extreme amount of weight, or so they think. When Greg Sankey and Tony Petiti told the other conferences that they would form their own playoff if they did not get the power to handle the future CFP format, other conferences took the bait, and signed the agreement to allow the two to negotiate moving forward. 

Now, the SEC and Big Ten could push through a new format that could also change how conference championship weekend is handled. Even though it would be awkward looking, we could end up seeing a ‘play-in’ type format to decide the remaining two teams who get a playoff bid, given that the top-two teams in the conference would be in. We all know that money is the driving force behind this, and could lead to a renegotiated television contract. 

How Will Rules Be Enforced? SEC, Big Ten Ready To Get Out From NCAA

One of the biggest issues on the docket this week is how the new era will be enforced. Right now, plans call for a separate party from the NCAA to handle all matters pertaining to NIL, rules and third-party dealings. 

This also includes the enforcement wing of the House agreement. Going forward, the NCAA could only handle matters pertaining to academics and some eligibility. While most SEC leaders believe that they should operate on their own system, along with the Big Ten, this is getting major pushback from other conferences. 

If the SEC and Big Ten are allowed to have a bigger vote compared to other conferences, this is only going to cause further turmoil as we move into the future. 

It's safe to say that all eyes will be on Destin, Florida this week. We are inching closer to the July 1st date that will ultimately change the way college athletics are run. 

Once again, all eyes are on Greg Sankey and how he decides to present the future to his colleagues at spring meetings. Gone are the days of coaches complaining about tampering, or Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher getting into a war of words over how much money is being spent on a roster. 

What the SEC decides to do this week on the Gulf Coast has the attention of everyone across the country.