Greg Sankey Pushes Back on SEC and Big Ten Super League

The college sports world is in the middle of a transition period as leaders seek to find a permanent structure for schools to operate within. The SEC and Big Ten turned the wheels of change, and now, Greg Sankey is pushing back on the changes that may happen next.

Politics and sports have collided throughout the week as Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell’s “Protect College Sports Act” took center stage on Capitol Hill. Nick Saban and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua were among the individuals who testified before Congress to support the bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate.

The bill includes many different provisions to address coaching changes, the transfer portal, and the money flowing between schools and players. Most of the money comes from enormous TV deals. The SEC and Big Ten have the largest TV deals, and other conferences are trying not to get left in the dust. A provision for those schools to pool media rights is in the bill, out of fear that the two leagues may form a super league.

After others did the talking all week, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was prepared to talk about the issues in a lengthy conversation with Paul Finebaum. He wants no part in a super league with the Big Ten.

“What seems to be the tipping point in this discussion, an erroneous notion; I want to be clear about that. I shared this with Senator Cruz, along with my colleague Tony Petitti. We are not having some conversation about a merger,” said Sankey.

“In fact, Paul, I do not want the SEC Network to somehow be confused with the Big Ten Network, OK? Just so you and I are clear, I don’t think our fans want that. I don’t think anybody wants that. I think the debate between the fan bases of the two conferences is outstanding.”

The SEC and Big Ten each recorded more than $1 billion in revenue in their most recent tax filings. They have also been given authority on the future format of the College Football Playoff. Sankey believes the power they wield has been weaponized against them. He’s trying to stop that narrative before the crazy train gets out of control.

“In my opinion, it’s just my opinion, part of the reason that all of a sudden we’re identified in the Super League category is because there’s an effort to say, ‘Well, disregard the input from these two leaders,’” Sankey said. “Hey, I got to give people credit. (It’s) been an effective strategy. It’s not accurate, it’s not consistent with the truth.”

It should not surprise you that including politicians in the college sports discussion has not led to more agreements among leaders.

"I do not want the @SECNetwork to be confused with the Big 10 Network."

Commissioner @GregSankey makes it clear, there's no talk of a merger or super league coming from Birmingham: pic.twitter.com/dA3eTcJt83

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) June 5, 2026