Greg Sankey explains why he is attending Red River Rivalry on Saturday
Texas and Oklahoma are still Big 12 members for at least seven more football games. Saturday’s Red River Shootout has massive implications, both nationally and in the conference, on the line. But Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark will not be in attendance.
The SEC’s Greg Sankey will be at the Cotton Bowl instead, soaking in the atmosphere. This year will mark the 119th meeting between Texas and Oklahoma. Next year’s 120th battle will be an SEC game, marking a new era in the rivalry.
Sankey will have plenty of opportunities to take in the game moving forward. However, he wanted to make sure the full State Fair of Texas experience was presented to him before the two Red River schools migrated over to the SEC.
“I have wanted to attend the Oklahoma-Texas game actually for a while,” Sankey said during an appearance on Thursday’s episode of the Paul Finebaum Show. “I lived in Dallas for 11 years. I was the commissioner of the Southland Conference. So, I was otherwise busy.
“When we made the big news in 2021 that Oklahoma and Texas would be joining — at some point, before they joined officially, I knew I wanted to experience that game. Wanted to be back in the Cotton Bowl stadium.”
Sankey joined the Southland Conference in 1992 and became the commissioner in 1996. He eventually left in favor of the SEC in 2002 and left the city of Dallas. Not once over his decade there did he have the chance to attend the Red River Shootout.
Now serving as the SEC’s commissioner — plus welcoming Texas and Oklahoma into the conference — his opportunity to finally arrived. Sankey said he will be in Austin on Friday night for a personal matter, potentially attending the rehearsal dinner of a wedding scheduled for Saturday night.
Come Saturday morning, Sankey could have a Fletcher’s corn dog and a wax cup beverage of his choice if he wanted. The fried food runs pretty deep at the State Fair too. All in time before settling into his seat for the 11 a.m. kickoff in the Cotton Bowl.
Texas-Oklahoma will not be the only game Sankey attends on Saturday. At some point, he will leave Dallas and head down to College Station. Texas A&M has a huge matchup of their own, facing off against Alabama, setting up to be a huge day of football in the Lone Star State.
And Sankey will be at both, taking in two of the top games of the day. Just a perk of running one of the most powerful conferences in college athletics.