3 reasons why Greg Sankey should consider SEC name change after Brett Yormark's move

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has done an excellent job of elevating the conference and now could be able to make another significant change: the name of the conference. While it could be difficult, there are a lot of benefits to doing so. Today, we explore some reasons why Sankey should at least consider the change.

Why should Greg Sankey consider SEC name change?

1. More money

The more money the SEC can generate, the more it can continue to widen the gap between itself and the remainder of the Power Five conferences. The reported number for Brett Yormark's big move to sell the Big 12's naming rights is $30-$50 million annually. Imagine what a conference like the SEC could generate.

More money will help it continue to attract teams looking to leave their current conference. Greg Sankey has been extremely selective in conference realignment, but this helps the conference have another revenue source.

2. Conference enters corporate America

A college conference entering corporate America could mean many things in the future. SEC football regularly draws premier ratings during the football season, and having a brand associated with the conference means a lot.

From a marketing standpoint, if the conference changes its name and a college player winds up being a star in the NFL, the brand will have footage of the star associated with it. This is something that can be used for years down the line and bring about some positive brand recognition.

With corporate America being involved in college sports, the deep pockets will also be associated. If schools are having "trouble" paying student-athletes, this is a way to create another revenue stream as well.

3. Maintain superiority over other conferences

The Southeastern Conference has more name value to brands than the Big 12 Conference does as it is viewed as the premier conference for college football. If Greg Sankey were to sell the naming rights of the conference to a bigger company, this would be a way to one-up the Big 12 Conference.

The leading candidate for the Big 12 naming rights is Allstate. Using that information, why wouldn't Sankey approach companies with more recognition, like Coca-Cola or an S&P 500 company, for the naming rights?