Sankey: ‘Fiction’ that OU was hesitant to join SEC

Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey on Sunday warmed up for SEC media days with a stop by the Texas High School Coaches Association conference and coaching school at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Sankey was asked about any insinuation that Oklahoma was more “hesitant” than rival Texas to enter the SEC but went along with the Longhorns to the powerful league in giving the SEC 16 members. Both schools are exiting the Big 12 for the SEC in one year.

“Let me be as clear as I can,” Sankey said. “I’m not familiar with those observations … (but) that’s fiction. Period. That’s fiction. The outreach (in 2021) was from both, equitably, and it was done at a presidential level, directly and clearly.”

Sankey said OU President Joe Harroz Jr. and UT President Jay Hartzell “were both equally clear about their interest in joining the Southeastern Conference.”

“They, as I recall, said we’ve watched how you lead, which is a compliment to me, and how our group has made decisions and how we function, and they want to be a part of that,” Sankey continued. “That’s as clear as I can be.”

Sankey, who lived in Texas from 1992-2002 while working for the Southland Conference, said he appreciated the invite to speak at the THSCA conference and to visit with high school coaches in this state.

“Having been in the Southland Conference for 11 years, and we’ve had a relationship with Texas A&M since 2012 (in the SEC), and adding to our Texas and westward relationships (with UT and OU), I was more than happy to accept the invitation,” Sankey said.

One of the issues he addressed with coaches was trying to ensure that college football doesn’t infringe too much on high school football on Friday nights. He said while the SEC plays on Black Friday after Thanksgiving and will continue doing so, he’s aware the league does not need to take away from the attention and attendance of high school football on Friday nights in the fall.

“High school football is a big deal across this region,” Sankey said. “That’s why I’ve been very clear about our respect for (the games) … we better think carefully about our impact on high school football (regarding TV).”

Sankey, who has served as SEC commissioner since 2015, then headed for the airport to board a plane bound for Nashville, Tenn., which is hosting SEC media days for the first time. The event has previously only been in Hoover, Ala., or Atlanta, Ga.

A&M, LSU and Missouri are scheduled to visit with the media on Monday, along with the annual state of the league address from Sankey. A&M coach Jimbo Fisher was scheduled to speak at the THSCA conference Sunday but did not because of a “family commitment,” according to an A&M spokesman, and he was replaced by A&M defensive line coach Elijah Robinson on the docket.

But Fisher is still expected in Nashville on Monday.