SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey noted a positive trend Wednesday in his conference and the COVID-19 pandemic, while being asked some of the most popular questions related to the upcoming college football season.
Sankey, who was invited to Outkick on Wednesday, seemed optimistic about last week’s test numbers on SEC campuses. Over the weekend, he said things were not going in a positive direction.
“Our numbers have dropped from the low digits to zero,” Sankey told Clay Travis. “One of my presidents said, ‘Hey, I feel comfortable being able to support and supervise and keep people healthy.”
That does not mean that we are already out of danger. Sankey has remained consistent with his message about preaching patience as he continues to gather information. The data and statistics of upcoming events, he said, will be crucial.
“The (NASCAR) Bristol event tonight is an important stat,” Sankey said, citing the number of fans in the stands. “The Major League Baseball is going to move people. That is an important set of information. The start of the NFL training camp is important for us to observe the soccer practices that take place. We have time before our practices to adjust. “
During the 23-minute interview, a lot of ground was covered. Here are some of the highlights:
On whether he expects Alabama (vs. USC) and Texas A&M (vs. Colorado) to replace Pac-12 enemies and are they working on it?
“The opportunities will be there,” he said. “We are not on the path to having a lost game outside of the conference due to other conference decisions. All of these other soccer programs that have missed opportunities are now looking for games as well.
“There will be opportunities for both Alabama and A&M to find other opponents if they move down that path. … I don’t know when they will make the decision or when they will announce it. “
Do you expect all Power 5 conferences to have uniform decisions or difference plans?
“I can’t imagine a total hodge podge,” said Sankey. “There are three of us (SEC, ACC, Big 12) communicating for obvious reasons about the importance of patience in our decision making. Right now, I can imagine different directions. That is part of the wait. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. ”
In off-conference rivalry games like Georgi-Georgia Tech, Clemson-South Carolina, and Florida-Florida State:
“From a programming point of view, depending on what happens, I don’t know what happens with the capacity and flexibility within a schedule and the time we may need to play those games and still determine a conference champion,” Sankey said.
“What you see from others is a strong emphasis on creating space in their schedules so they can play conference games and determine a conference champion. We are not at that point yet, but we must be aware of the realities that may unfold and guide our decision-making.
Sankey added that the league has been working “long, long” at alternative times to reflect any number of games. He did not say that the SEC has been working on a 10-game conference-only schedule due to the “CFP debate.”
However, an odd number of conference games seems unlikely due to the uneven number of home games for each member institution.
Check out the full interview below:
Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.
