ATLANTA – College football has always been an evolving beast. With conferences seemingly always in flux, championship formats under constant scrutiny and now with NIL rules allowing players to profit off of their name and likeness, the sport is almost unrecognizable from 10 years ago.
Conference realignment has again taken centerstage as the sport of college football continues to be shaken by seismic shifts of power.
After last year’s announcement of Oklahoma and Texas joining the Southeastern Conference, the Big XII made moves to shore up its membership. Then last month the Big Ten made it’s play by announcing the inclusion of USC and UCLA from the Pac-12. Rumors have begun to swirl about what college football will look like once the dust settles.
During SEC Media Days last week, where college football and the SEC in particular is headed was a major talking point for most involved. Let’s take a look at what everyone had to say about it.
Greg Sankey
SEC Commissioner
On the SEC’s response to USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten
As I visited with our presidents and chancellors and ADs, understand the timing is this news broke June 30. I did not gather that group till the next Wednesday. I wanted to make sure I was learning what was actually happening. But also I didn’t want a story like on Friday, the day after, the SEC presidents are gathering, and you have this ripple effect of they’re going to do something. We wanted to be patient and communicate.
Again, we’re comfortable at 16. There’s no sense of urgency, no sense of panic. We’re not just shooting for a number of affiliations that make us better. Could they be out there? I would never say they’re not. I would never say that we will. We’re going to be evaluating the landscape. I’m not going to speculate. I actually am watching a lot of this activity operating around us, more so than impacting us directly.
Brian Kelly
LSU Head Coach
On teams trying to get into the SEC
Musical chairs, then the music is going to stop here and you’re not going to have a place at the table. I think that’s scary for a lot of universities. It’s left a lot of internal conversations about where do we go. I understand that. There’s the question about Notre Dame, what do they do. Maybe they’re better positioned than some.
It’s musical chairs and there’s not enough chairs for everybody. That’s the current state of college football.
Lane Kiffin
Ole Miss Head Coach
On teams trying to get into the SEC
You know, they’ve been playing in great conferences and against great opponents. I mean, I just say how it is. I don’t know that there’s a huge jump into the Big Ten. I think going to the SEC is a whole ‘nother animal. I think the draft picks, national championships prove that coming out of the SEC.
I just said, it’s a different world. Said it for a long time: the SEC just means more. And it does. It’s different, it’s ahead of the game. Now, over the last five, ten years, the players started coming that didn’t used to come from the Northeast and West Coast very often at all. That transition I feel like started with Alabama especially, and now they’re coming to the SEC.
Nick Saban
Alabama Head Coach
On the SEC having 18 or 20 teams
I think there’s a lot of underlying dynamics from a business standpoint that could impact and affect how this happens, if it does happen in the future.
But for right now, we have 14 teams in our league for the next couple years. We have some really, really good teams in our league. It’s a very competitive league. You got to be on task each and every week that you play. That’s kind of what we’re trying to stay focused on.
That question’s probably a better question for Greg Sankey or conference commissioners who maybe are looking at what’s in the best interest of their league in the future. I’m sure they would say maybe yes and maybe no. Who knows what those circumstances may have an impact and effect in a positive way on each and every league and on college football in general.
But I do think if we move toward the mega conference, again, that whole thing about competitive balance is going to be in question.
Mike Leach
Mississippi State Head Coach
On Texas and Oklahoma being ready acclimated to SEC play
I think they’re kind of already acclimated from the standpoint good teams play as hard as they can and try to improve their skills along the way. So I think they’re certainly ready to do that.
I think the competition level raised. Then from my standpoint, and I get asked that especially from the Texas and the Oklahoma people, from their standpoint I think it’s going to change things quite dramatically. From our standpoint, I mean, you guys have us as having the toughest schedule in the country. So that being the case, we can’t play everybody. So knock two of those guys off and add OU and Texas, and I probably gained about half a step I would think.
I mean, the two most eastern teams in the West are the two Alabama schools, so send them east, and we have to play Texas and OU, and I probably gained a little on that.
Brian Harsin
Auburn Head Coach
On Texas and Oklahoma having a learning curve will be upon joining the SEC
That opportunity, when that comes, they’re building their teams. They’re figuring out in their own conference right now. They got to win now. That’s really what the focus is, I would imagine, for those teams.
When it comes time, when they enter the league, who knows by then, there could be a few more changes at that point. We don’t know that. This thing has changed significantly in a short amount of time.
Both those programs are powerful programs. They got a lot of support. Playing in that league, both of those teams, that Red River rivalry, that’s a big game. So you understand the passion that each fan base has.
We’re bringing two really good programs into this conference to be a part of what we’re doing here.
