SEC Media Days: What to expect from Atlanta this week

SEC Media Days begin July 14th and run through July 18th. Media members will get to visit with coaches and players from all 16 SEC programs, along with the league commissioner and the coordinator of refs. Toby Rowland and I (Chris Williams) will be reporting from Atlanta all week- here is what I am expecting:

Sankey gets things started 

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey will get things started Monday morning. He will brag on the conference’s successes, like Florida winning the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and will harp on the difficulty of the SEC football slate. Sankey will call the SEC schedule a “gauntlet” - and Sooner fans will agree.  

But there are two main topics I am interested in hearing about from Sankey: future SEC scheduling and the future of the college football playoff. Neither one of these is set in stone beyond the upcoming football season. 

With scheduling, we are waiting to find out if SEC teams will play eight conference games each season, or if that will increase to nine in 2026. A nine-game slate means more revenue (in a time where Universities are on the hook to start sharing that money with the athletes), easier continuation of in-conference rivalry games, and more top-tier matchups. The downsides include player safety and higher potential for the conference’s top teams to accumulate losses. Which could result in fewer SEC teams making the college football playoff. It is safe to say nobody in the league wants that. 

That brings us to the next big storyline I am keeping my eye on tomorrow: the future of the College Football Playoff. Sankey came out of spring meetings without a clear consensus on what the conference would like the playoff structure to look like moving forward. Athletic Directors in the league want up to four spots in the postseason GUARANTEED to SEC teams every season. The coaches across the conference, by and large, seem to favor what is called the 5+11 structure: automatic bids for the five highest ranked conference champions and eleven “at-large” bids. My mathmeticians out there may have noticed that would mean more playoff expansion, from twelve teams up to 16. 

Do I think Sankey will give his full playoff preference this week? No. But Sankey is a man of influence, and he knows that he can use this opportunity to make his voice - and the voice of his constituents in the SEC conference - heard. 

OU’s focal point 

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, along with quarterback John Mateer, safety Robert Spears-Jennings, and defensive end R Mason Thomas will make their rounds on Wednesday. I would love to take that opportunity to find out who the two-deep depth chart has at every position, what exactly the defense will look like with Venables retaking full control (that is a bit of a joke. Venables has had full control of the defense since he stepped on campus. At least now we don’t have to pretend anyone else is calling the plays!), how the team plans to upset Texas, etc. Unfortunately, and reasonably, these wouldn’t get answered. 

So, some *realistic* questions I hope get answered this week. How has the multi-million dollar investment of adding Jim Nagy as general manager and building a staff around him helped the program so far? The purpose was to take some of the off field responsibilities off of Venables’s plate, while bolstering recruiting and retention. What have those results been so far? How close are BV’s feet to the fire? It seems like OU is in win-now mode... making you wonder if this is Brent’s last chance to prove his is the right fit to lead the program. Fans are anxious to get back to the top of the mountain- what steps are being taken to get them there as soon as possible? And, of course, it will be a good chance to hear which players Brent is most excited about. 

Around the League 

Some other storylines I am keeping an eye on this week: 

Tennessee’s NIL dispute 

The Volunteer’s lost a promising (and expensive) starting QB this offseason after Nico Iamaleava apparently sat out of spring practices and demanded more money. Tennessee let him walk- and I am curious to hear more about what went down. Tennessee speaks Tuesday. 

Jackson Arnold’s new home 

Former OU quarterback Jackson Arnold left Norman at the end of the season last year. Seems like it was the best move for both sides. He is now with Auburn- and will speak as a Tiger on Tuesday. He also comes to Norman on September tenth. Get your popcorn ready! 

Arch Manning takes the reins 

The Texas Quarterback’s patience is commendable. He sat behind Quinn Ewers for two seasons. This, despite calls for him to be the starter, and success in spot duty last year. Now, it is his turn to be the man. He will speak on Tuesday.