MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla.—Greg Sankey presides over an SEC that is officially growing from 14 to 16 schools on July 1.
There’s fierce rivalries, cutthroat recruiting and passionate fan bases.
Now there’s a quarterback from one school filing a lawsuit against the head coach of another.
So as the SEC spring meetings got underway, the SEC commissioner was asked what he thinks of Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada suing Florida coach Billy Napier and others connected to the program for a $13.85 million NIL deal that collapsed in late 2022 before he signed with the Gators.
“I’m not a fan of lawsuits,” Sankey told reporters Monday night at the Hilton Sandestin Beach. “That’s what I think.”
Sankey was asked if it’s the new reality with players choosing schools with NIL a big factor and Napier and other coaches having to deal with it.
“There’s been lawsuits,” Sankey said. “It’s not the only lawsuit involving a coach over the last year. It won’t be the last. We have a legal system and people have rights to pursue what they view as grievances and the legal system sorts that out.”
Sankey mentioned he’s retiring a 14-team belt that has all the SEC logos on it to make room for a 16-team belt that will include Texas and Oklahoma logos.
“It served me well, but we’re in a new era,” Sankey said.
Don’t expect any hardcore Georgia or Florida fans to wear one with either of the rivals’ logos on it.
