Ross Dellenger explains Greg Sankey's 'unusual' planned attendance at 2023 Red River Showdown

When Texas and Oklahoma square off in the Red River Showdown on Saturday, the conference commissioner will be in attendance. It won’t be their current conference leader, though, but the one who’ll be in charge next year when they leave for the SEC.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark will not be at the Cotton Bowl for the game. Instead, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey will be there to see the two newest additions to the league. Texas and Oklahoma were originally set to leave the Big 12 in 2025, but they came to a deal to leave early and exit in 2024.

According to Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger, it’s an “unusual” situation to see a commissioner from another conference attend another league’s premier rivalry game. However, he pointed out nothing is really “usual” in college athletics right now, and Sankey won’t stay for the whole game.

“You don’t usually see a commissioner of one conference attend a conference game from another league,” Dellenger said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “But obviously, these are unusual times, Paul, in college sports, as you know. Soon, we’ll have Washington and Rutgers playing a conference game, Arizona and UCF playing a conference game. So these are weird times in college sports. In a year — or less than a year … Texas and Oklahoma will formally and officially be members of the SEC.

“I think the SEC commissioner’s going to go take a peek at what that rivalry’s about and see it firsthand and maybe have a fried Oreo or two at the Texas State Fair. … What’s funny, too, is the commissioner of the Big 12 will not be there. Now, he’ll see Oklahoma and Texas later this year, playing games. … It’s not like he’s abandoning those two programs. The fact that Greg Sankey will be there is very interesting. He won’t stay to the end. I believe he’s jetting off to Texas A&M–Alabama and catch at least some or all of that game in College Station.”

Greg Sankey will witness an ‘awesome environment’ during the Red River Showdown

Sankey will get the full experience of the Red River Showdown. It takes place in Dallas in the middle of the Texas State Fair, meaning there’s plenty more to do before and after the football game. Plus, the Cotton Bowl is an old-school stadium with the split stands, meaning the fan bases are in their own areas.

The atmosphere is incredible, and it’ll make it even more special for Sankey’s first time attending.

“It’s a really cool game environment,” Dellenger said. “It’s always an early kickoff, 11 a.m. local time, Central Time. There in Dallas. It’s around the state fair, held in the old Cotton Bowl. I’m so glad they haven’t moved that game. It’ll be really cool.”

“It’s kind of a throwback. The stands are split perfectly. You’ve got the Burnt Orange, and then the Crimson. It’s just an awesome environment. I’ve covered it a couple times, and I’ll be there again in Dallas this weekend. And yeah, so will Greg Sankey.”