SEC Extends Commissioner Greg Sankey Through ‘At Least’ 2026

With college football season just three weeks away, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has agreed to a contract extension through 2026 - one year after the Longhorns and Sooners are scheduled to join the conference.

It is worth noting that no financial details were available in the press release, sports analysts are expecting Sankey to receive a big raise.

In a statement, Sankey echoed his appreciation for the extension.

"I am grateful for the support of the SEC's presidents and chancellors, and for the continuing opportunity to serve our universities while supporting the student-athletes of the Southeastern Conference," said Sankey. "We are in the midst of a time of change for college athletics, and I look forward to working with the SEC's campus leaders to identify a path forward that will sustain the incredible success of our Conference and provide opportunities for young people to grow academically and challenge themselves athletically."

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Since Sankey took over the reins as “commish” of the SEC in 2015, he has been instrumental in continuing the growth of the Southeastern Conference. Most recently, Sankey assisted in the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma joining the SEC.

With the commissioner’s help, the SEC also signed a new, ground-breaking TV contract with ESPN and ABC.

Last summer, in a time that nobody in America knew if college football season would even happen, Sankey paved the way by implementing a conference-only schedule. This idea translated into a full season being played by the SEC with minimal COVID-related cancellations - something that other “Power Five” conferences didn’t accomplish.

Simultaneously, Sankey worked with programs around the conference to help fight for racial equality and stood in solidarity with players and coaches when they demonstrated.

The SEC will kick off their football season on Thursday, Sept. 2 when the Tennessee Volunteers host Bowling Green. It will be televised on SEC Network and will kick off at 7:00 p.m.