Thoughts of the Day: July 19, 2026

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey

A few thoughts to jump start your Sunday morning:

SEC Media Days can trace its roots to the days of the Sky Writers, where the best sports columnists and writers in the south flew to all 10 Southeastern Conference schools for the stories that would hype the upcoming football season. Along the way some genius came up with the idea of bringing coaches and a few players from each school to a central location. Instead of the 30 or so writers who went on the Sky Writers tour, thousands of writers, columnists and broadcasters from all over the country will gather in Tampa starting tomorrow for the pinnacle talking season event. All the other conferences stage their own media days, but nothing comes remotely close to the SEC.

When SEC commissioner Greg Sankey takes the podium to get things going Monday morning, he will be peppered with questions about legislation before the United States Congress intended to bring sanity to a chaotic college sports world but instead may usher in further instability. Sankey believes college sports need legislation from Congress to stomp the brakes on the out of control situation that threatens the very foundation of the sport. He also believes the Protect College Sports Act, in its current form, would be bad for the Southeastern Conference and college sports in general. Therefore, he is opposed to the point of discussing the possibility of the SEC going its own way.

The threat of secession is very real but its main purpose is to get tweaks in the legislation that will prove more favorable to the Southeastern Conference. Of course, every time the SEC exerts its power and influence, the little guys stomp their feet and throw tantrums. They’re used to the NCAA model which tries to push the concept of equality but as the most powerful figure in all of collegiate athletics, Greg Sankey understands that you can’t handicap the haves by bringing them down to the level of the have nots. The SEC and the Big Ten are the haves of college sports. Everybody else is a have not.

For example, both the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conferences as well as all the Group of Six leagues want television revenue pooled. That formula works in pro football where all 32 teams get an equal cut of the TV money but the NFL also has collective bargaining agreements, salary caps and other rules in place that are protected by anti-trust legislation. The SEC and Big Ten negotiated revenue packages that dwarf those of the other leagues in Division I and with the rising cost of doing business these days neither league feels an obligation to share its broadcast money.

Another issue that Sankey opposes is the proposed freeze on conference memberships that is a prominent part of the Protect College Sports Act. This is well-intentioned because it halts runaway expansion but it prevents potential beneficial moves. For example, UCF is in the Big 12 where its closest rival is Cincinnati, nearly 900 miles away. South Florida sits 90 minutes west on I-4. Adding USF to the Big 12 would give UCF a natural rival but such a move would be banned under the congressional legislation as proposed currently.

These are just a couple of the questions Sankey will have to answer tomorrow morning. SEC Media Days has everything to do with football, but football will have to take a temporary backseat to this opportunity to get The Commish to offer a roadmap of where the SEC and all of collegiate sports are headed.  

DOES MESSI RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET AS THE UNDISPUTED CHAMP OF ALL TIME?

At 39 years old, today’s Argentina-Spain clash for the World Cup figures to be the last time on soccer’s biggest and grandest stage for Lionel Messi, who has almost willed Argentina into this opportunity for a second straight championship. It isn’t lost on the world’s immense soccer community that Messi spent most of his legendary career playing for Barcelona in the Spanish League. He is as loved in Spain as he is in Argentina although today he is public enemy No. 1 for Spain, which understands completely that to beat Argentina is to neutralize Messi. Easier said than done.

If Messi isn’t the greatest soccer player of all time then he is certainly on the short list. If he is able to go out on top with consecutive World Cup championships, will he elbow his way past Pele as the greatest World Cup champ of all time? Pele led Brazil to World Cups in 1958, 1962 and then again in 1970 when he was 30 years old.

Messi may not be as explosive as he was in younger years, but all that experience has allowed him to pick his spots to exert the kind of greatness into circumstances that result in victories in big matches. Against England in the semifinal, his assists on both Argentine goals were nothing short of brilliant. If Messi stars and Argentina wins the championship today will that make him the greatest player in World Cup history?

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Cole Hutson, who played in 48 games at Texas (23  starts) the last four years, has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA asking a Travis County court to grant an injunction that will allow him to play a fifth year. Hutson, who went undrafted by the NFL and was offered an invitation to a Dallas Cowboys mini-camp, is challenging the NCAA’s new 5-for-5 legislation that failed to grandfather in athletes who had completed their fourth – and then final – year of eligibility last year while extending a fifth year to underclassmen.

Judges in Ohio and Colorado have already filed temporary restraining orders (TRO) against the NCAA on behalf of mostly basketball players. The Hutson case might not be the first for a football player challenging the new rules, but it is certainly the most high profile and, if granted, could open the floodgates for football coaches to add experienced players ahead of the 2026 season.

Per Longhorns Wire, the best version of the Texas offensive line in 2025 had Cole Hutson starting at left guard. It doesn’t seem the least bit coincidental that the only position on the 2026 O-line that isn’t manned by a returning starter is left guard. Add Hutson into the mix and suddenly the Texas offensive line, already ranked No. 2 nationally by Lindy’s, becomes formidable.

Now, did Hutson initiate the lawsuit on his own volition or was he prodded into filing by the Texas coaching staff? In that Hutson says he has been told by HBC Steve Sarkisian that a roster spot is being held open for him, it would seem there is some measure of collaboration. How many coaches in Division I have a position of need and an experienced player ready to step in for one more season?

The NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, will fight the Hutson case just as it has gone to court to fight the other eligibility lawsuits. Precedent says the NCAA will lose. Again and again. Precedent also says the NCAA won’t compromise but will continue to duke it out in courtrooms across the country where friendly local judges will rule in favor of the athletes.

The 5-for-5 legislation is very well intended and it comes at a time when chaos reigns supreme throughout college athletics but failure to grandfather in fourth-year seniors is a mistake because it opens the door for local courts and friendly judges to have national impact not just on who plays but the balance of power as well. For example, the success found by Trinidad Chambliss, who will play quarterback for Ole Miss in the fall, makes the Rebels legitimate contenders for both the SEC and national championships.

An added year of eligibility is going to further change the recruiting landscape. When combined with NIL money and the transfer portal the extra year will mean fewer chances taken on developing high school kids and more emphasis placed on experience. Why place job security in the hands of an 18-year-old who will take as many as two or three years to evolve into a functional player at the power conference level when players with starting experience are not only available but plentiful? The four- and five-star athletes won’t necessarily be fazed by this chaos. Top athletes will never lack for opportunities but instead of signing a three-star, coaches are already trending to the portal to find plug and play types ready to fit right into a starting lineup.

As the NCAA proves time and time again, there are consequences that are not always pleasant every time it introduces new rules or tries to fight it out in court. What the new rules and subsequent lawsuits are going to do is relegate the non-power conferences and their members to minor league status. The Group of Six schools as well as those in D1AA and DII leagues are in the process of becoming the college sports equivalent of baseball’s minors complete with tiers. Minor League Baseball has its rookie leagues and classes A through AAA which is what collegiate sports conferences are in the process of evolving into.

The sage philosopher Ferris Beuller put things into perspective when he said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” He wasn’t talking about college sports, but he could have been.