Greg Sankey reveals plan to visit Oklahoma campus for first time

As the SEC prepares to expand in 2025, Greg Sankey and other conference officials are already doing what they can to prepare. That includes campus visits — including one Sankey hasn’t yet visited.

During an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show on Friday, Sankey announced he’s visiting Oklahoma next week when the Sooners take on Arkansas in basketball. That will mark his first time visiting OU’s campus, and it means he’ll have visited both schools joining the league in the future. He also visited Texas earlier in the year.

“I’m actually going to be in Norman for the first time next week,” Sankey said. “This is breaking news. Arkansas and Oklahoma play a basketball game in Tulsa, and I’ve never been on Oklahoma’s campus, believe it or not. So I’m looking forward to that because I did the same in the fall in Austin. That’s today’s bottom line ticker, I guess.”

Greg Sankey: There is no connection between CFP expansion and SEC expansion

Sankey also discussed the impact College Football Playoff expansion to 12 teams will have on the SEC’s decision to grow. Actually, he talked about the lack of impact it will have.

He confirmed the expansion date — July 1, 2025 — has to do with the Big 12’s grant of rights expiring. CFP expansion is not a factor, and date is still the target.

“There’s no connection between College Football Playoff expansion and our conference expansion,” Sankey said. “That was tied to the agreements between the universities in the Big 12 and the Big 12 Conference, which that grant of rights expires June 30, 2025. That’s why we’re on that date. Interestingly enough, as I understand things, the Big Ten expansion which is scheduled I think for Aug. 2, 2024, the Pac-12 grant of rights expires the day before.

“This is just a new reality. There has been a mention of openness from the Big 12 in the conversation. That hasn’t manifested itself, so we’re really focused on our responsibility which is to prepare for 2025.