Greg Sankey fires back at Cody Campbell for comments misrepresenting stance on pooling media rights

Greg Sankey has clapped back at billionaire booster Cody Campbell. Sankey responded to Campbell’s comments alleging the SEC Commissioner and his colleagues have told him “privately” that they believe pooling media rights would increase revenue.

Sankey has now refuted this claim. He called Campbell’s words a “misrepresentation” and that it raises concerns about his veracity in other aspects of college sports.

“I have never stated — publicly or privately — that pooling media rights would increase revenue, nor do I believe that it would,” Sankey said, via the AP. “His misrepresentation of my position raises serious concerns about the accuracy of his other claims. … His comments reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the realities of college athletics.”

Campbell is supportive of pieces of the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act, which was introduced by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) late last month. If passed, it would allow colleges and universities to lawfully negotiate their media rights as a group to increase their value, like the NFL and other professional sports.

It would be amending the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which allows leagues an exemption from antitrust laws. Some, like Sen. Ted Cruz, believes it has “zero” chance of passing.

Sankey reiterated his stance, saying that his responsibilities lie with the institutions within the SEC, and the student-athletes on thsoe campuses. He said, “Mr. Campbell’s suggestion that commissioners are indifferent to the institutional level is both irresponsible and damaging to his own credibility.”

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark also spoke with the AP on the matter. He offered a similar sentiment as Sankey, doubling down on denying Campbell’s claims.

“Cody is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts,” Yormark said. “I’ve never said pooling media rights will increase revenue. The only thing I have said is that hope isn’t a strategy. There are unintended consequences to amending the [1961 Sports Broadcasting Act] that Cody and his team need to better understand.”

Yormark added that the decisions made by conference commissioners are “rooted in collaboration, accountability and a deep understanding of the institutional impact for student-athletes.” Instead, Yormark is in support of the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act.

The SCORE Act has support from the NCAA as well as its Power 4 conferences, would prohibit athletes from becoming employees of their institutions and limits NCAA antitrust protection.

The Big Ten did not respond to the AP for comment. However, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti has stated his support for the SCORE Act in the past, feeling that it may help “modernize” the current NIL system.

“The recent act that, I think Sen. Cantwell proposed, we haven’t spent a lot of time on [it],” Petitti said. “I’m assuming like most things, there’s elements there that make a lot of sense. There might not be everything in that bill that lines up with what we’re currently thinking. But we feel like the SCORE Act is enough.”