As the 2024–2025 academic year draws to a close and a potentially historic year draws near, college athletics are caught in a maelstrom of uncertainty.
The SEC, probably the most significant and important league in the nation, is caught squarely in the center of that maelstrom. The league is at the vanguard of collegiate athletics, having placed three schools in the first 12-team collegiate Football Playoff and fourteen in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
When SEC commissioner Greg Sankey met with media on Monday to begin the conference’s annual spring meetings, he was explicitly questioned about the conference’s readiness for the House Settlement that would allow revenue sharing with student athletes to be approved.
Although Sankey acknowledged that there is always a chance for turbulence, he stated that the SEC is “prepared as well as we are able” for that approval and the changes that accompany it.
“A lot of people spend a lot of time preparing, and our timeline is compressed between decision-making and a lot of implementation work,” Sankey stated. “There will be questions to be answered.” “I am aware that we invested a great deal of time and effort into all four conferences.”
With that uncertainty and early volatility in mind, Sankey said despite being prepared, they don’t want to get ahead of the decision either.
Sankey was also questioned if the conference was planned in case the House Settlement is refused, a subject he avoided from expanding on as much. He added there are “likely several” lines of action if that happens, but didn’t clarify further.
For college athletics and its administrators, these developments are nothing new. John Cohen, the athletic director at Auburn, told AL.com in February that since he was interviewed for the position in 2022, the athletic department has been preparing its budget for a revenue-sharing arrangement.
It was thought that a ruling on the settlement would have been rendered by the end of May 2025, but according to Sankey, that hasn’t altered the SEC’s preparations.
Sankey stated, “I discovered a long time ago that we have no control over the legal system.” Is there any hope, then? Is there an idea? Is it said that a decision will be made at this stage? Indeed. Will we change our words this week because we have an obligation to implement? Indeed. Does that imply that we will continue to prepare? We will continue to prepare for the judge’s ultimate ruling.
