MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. 鈥 Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey was noncommittal Thursday when asked if reprimands from the league office were forthcoming for 91茄子 football coach Lane Kiffin and Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l find out when I make decisions,鈥 Sankey told reporters at the conclusion of the SEC Spring Meetings at the Sandestin Hilton.
A report earlier this week said Kiffin might be sanctioned for comments he made in a recent Vanity Fair cover story, saying recruits at Ole Miss told him: 鈥 鈥榃e really like you, but my grandparents aren鈥檛 letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi.鈥
"That doesn鈥檛 come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana,鈥 Kiffin said. 鈥淧arents were sitting here this weekend saying the campus鈥 diversity feels so great. 鈥業t feels like there鈥檚 no segregation, and we want that for our kid because that鈥檚 the real world.鈥 鈥
Kiffin later attempted to clarify his quote in an interview with USA Today: 鈥淚 said, 鈥楢 parent said.鈥 That鈥檚 not me saying it as my opinion.鈥
In a separate interview, Sarkisian spoke to USA Today about inequities in academic standards across schools by taking a shot at Ole Miss.
鈥淎t Texas, we will only take 50% of a player鈥檚 academic credit hours,鈥 Sarkisian said. 鈥淏ut at Ole Miss, they can take you. All you have to do is take basket weaving, and you can get an Ole Miss degree.鈥
Sarkisian said here Tuesday he had not been sanctioned by the SEC but that he made 鈥渁 poor choice of words.鈥
Sankey reiterated that he has 鈥渁ddressed those issues directly in each meeting this week鈥 with coaches and athletic directors regarding public comments.
鈥淧eople in leadership positions need to function like leaders in their conduct and commentary,鈥 Sankey said Tuesday.
Sankey on RJ Luis
Sankey indicated he would weigh in on 91茄子 men鈥檚 basketball commitment RJ Luis the way he did this past season with the Charles Bediako eligibility issue at Alabama.
In February, Sankey signed an affidavit supporting the NCAA ruling that Bediako, who had signed a two-way NBA contract but did not play in an NBA game, should be ineligible. Bediako played five games for Alabama before his temporary restraining order expired.
Luis, the 2025 Big East player of the year at St. John鈥檚, signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, later played in three exhibition games with the Boston Celtics and was on the roster of the Maine Celtics G-League team but did not play in a game because of injury.
鈥淢y position on these issues has not changed,鈥 Sankey said.
鈥淲hat I said to our coaches, what I鈥檝e said to (NCAA president) Charlie Baker, what I鈥檝e said to our athletics directors and our presidents today in a combined group is that we need clarity. I support the NCAA providing clarity and upholding the rules to which we have agreed. I鈥檒l have to cross whatever legal matter may arise when it arises.鈥
Asked about Luis鈥 eligibility situation Wednesday before leaving the spring meetings, 91茄子 coach Will Wade said simply, 鈥淲e鈥檒l let that play out.鈥
No CFP vote
As Sankey said Monday, no vote or consensus was coming out of the spring meeting on College Football Playoff expansion.
Led by the Big Ten, the other Power Four conferences and Notre Dame have expressed support for a 24-team playoff. Sankey has expressed support for a 16-team playoff, the impasse leaving the CFP at 12 teams this year for the second straight season.
鈥淚 want to be clear: We鈥檝e never stated opposition to 24,鈥 Sankey said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e stated support for 16. But as I said two days ago, we鈥檒l keep an open mind and continue to grind through our own research.鈥
Media rights
One of the planks of the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan U.S. Senate bill intended to address major issues facing college athletics, is that schools from across the college spectrum could pool their media rights.
The SEC issued a statement Thursday rejecting that proposal.
鈥淭he Conference must retain the ability to act in the best interests of its membership,鈥 the statement reads. 鈥淎s such, the SEC does not support assigning its media rights to a third party and remains firmly committed to independently conducting its media negotiations.鈥
ABS in 2027?
After what conference officials felt was successful experimental use of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System 鈥 ABS for short 鈥 at this year鈥檚 SEC baseball tournament, the conference now is aiming to implement it league-wide in time for the start of SEC play next season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a secret at this point that it鈥檚 definitely our intention to see if we can make it happen in 2027,鈥 said Matt Boyer, the SEC associate commissioner who oversees baseball.
The NCAA granted the league permission to use the automated system in Hoover, Alabama, this past week. Now comes the logistical challenge of installing the required technology in 16 SEC ballparks.
Questions remain as to which company or companies would provide the ABS system, what the cost would be and who would foot the bill.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a lot of work to do to get there,鈥 Boyer said, 鈥渂oth from a system and policy standpoint. The approval we got from the NCAA was to experiment in use of the tournament this year. We have to turn our attention now to a rule change.鈥