It was announced on Thursday afternoon that Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey had agreed to a contract extension. The deal runs through 2028, skyrocketing Greg Sankey's salary by a great margin. The veteran is currently in his ninth year as the SEC Commissioner.
Sankey issued a comment on the press release of the announcement and talked about the gratitude he has for the SEC.
"I am grateful for the continued opportunity to serve and support the universities and student-athletes of the Southeastern Conference and I appreciate the confidence placed in me by the SEC's presidents and chancellors. I look forward to working with the leaders of our Conference and fulfill our mission to provide our young people with the opportunity to grow academically and challenge themselves through elite competition."
Sankey earned $3.7 million in 2022, according to tax filings obtained by Pro Publica. It should not come as a surprise to see a bit of a raise on that number in the new contract extension.
Does Greg Sankey's salary justify his role as the SEC Commissioner?
Greg Sankey has been one of the best commissioners in college football because of how he has improved the conference. He was able to convince both the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns to join the conference to bolster the entire group.
He succeeded in executing two major things as the SEC Commissioner, one of which was navigating the conference through the COVID-19 pandemic. Dealing with that was one of the most stressful situations that a commissioner could have to manage.
Almost as important was Greg Sankey's being able to negotiate a massive 10-year, $3 billion contract with ESPN. That put the conference in an incredible position to be viewed as the top conference in collegiate sports, not just college football.
When you are in charge of major universities like Alabama, LSU, and Georgia, there are a lot of different factors to consider. With a lot of high-profile universities, the politics have to be tamed, and Sankey has done a great job of keeping that out of the limelight.
Greg Sankey has done an incredible job of getting the SEC to the point that it is today. It will be difficult to name a more impactful college sports conference commissioner than Sankey. The SEC seems to be a tier above any other conference in college sports, and he is a huge reason why.
What grade would you give Sankey as the SEC Commissioner?
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