Greg Sankey shuts down idea of Big Ten-SEC super league, explains why

One day after meeting with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) about the Protect College Sports Act, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey made it clear the conference is not interested in forming a “super league” with the Big Ten. He shut down that idea, telling Paul Finebaum it is “erroneous.”

Sankey said no conversations have taken place between the SEC and Big Ten about merging into a “super league” of sorts. The idea came up during a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday, and there’s a provision in the bipartisan bill – introduced by Cruz and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) last week – aimed at preventing such consolidations.

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After the hearing, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said talks of a super league are a “fabrication” while speaking with Yahoo! Sports. Friday, Sankey echoed a similar sentiment and strongly denied conversations between the two conferences.

“What seems to be the tipping point in this discussion is this notion – an erroneous notion. I want to be clear about that. And then I shared this with Senator Cruz, along with my colleague Tony Petitti. We are not having some conversation about a merger,” Sankey said. “In fact, Paul, I do not want the SEC Network to somehow be confused with the Big Ten Network. Just so you and I are clear. I don’t think our fans want that, I don’t think anybody wants that.

“I think the debate between the fan bases of the two conferences is outstanding. … That’s part of the fodder that’s there. We have not had a conversation about some kind of merger or super league.”

Greg Sankey: Big Ten, SEC are being ‘singled out’

As he pushed back on the concept of a super league between the Big Ten and SEC, Greg Sankey argued the two conferences are being “singled out” and used the most recent tax filings to make his point. During fiscal year 2024-25, just two conferences topped $1 billion in revenue distribution: the Big Ten and SEC.

Those numbers are why Sankey argued the Protect College Sports Act is wrongly focusing on the two conferences. Instead, he thinks it should apply not only to other leagues, but also other efforts to form “super leagues.”

“I think one of the flaws in the bill is to pick a point in time, which is like the most recent tax filings,” Sankey said. “There are two conferences that had over $1 billion in revenue. And those two conferences are singled out and can’t do certain things. One of my observations is, ‘Hey, you know what? If we can’t do that, make that apply to the ACC and Big 12. Make that apply to the Ohio Valley Conference and my old friends in the Southland Conference.’ We shouldn’t be singled out because we’re not having that conversation.

“On the other side of the coin, we flat know there’s groups like Smash Capital, some of these College Sports Tomorrow groups that have formed. Private equity groups have called me to suggest, ‘Hey, here’s a super league.’ The bill ought to deal with those as well. If it’s wrong for the SEC and Big Ten to take that course of action, then we shouldn’t be allowing that course of action for anyone. I think those are important elements.”