The new league year in the NFL starts in March when free agency agreements can be officially announced by organizations. College football operates differently. High school and transfer additions have been announced by schools, but a new year doesn’t really start until spring meetings take place. That is the sign that rosters are set and conferences are now looking ahead to the upcoming fall sports schedule.
The SEC will have their own fun in the sun this week in Destin.
Commissioner Greg Sankey, university presidents, athletic directors, head football coaches, head men’s basketball coaches, and more will all be on the scene throughout the week. In this year’s edition, there appears to be a lot to cover on the docket.
What storylines could emerge down on the beach this week? KSR is taking a closer look at some of the potential talking points we could see Sankey and some of the other members of the conference discuss once out of the board rooms.
House v. NCAA
Expect the settlement just reached in House v. NCAA to take up most of the oxygen this week. Major changes are coming to college athletics as the amateurism model officially died last week. But what does that look like?
Title IX, revenue-sharing, collectives, and scholarship limits will all be major talking points this week. How does the SEC plan to split the money between men’s and women’s sports? Where do athletic departments plan to get the revenue-sharing money, and how will the $20-22 million projected be spent? Where do collectives sit in all of this? With House v. NCAA calling for scholarship limits to be eliminated, does that mean there will no longer be walk-ons? Do we now have roster caps?
There is a ton to go over, and we might not get many clear answers this week, but the SEC and the other power conferences need to work quickly. A new structure will likely need to be in place come fall 2025. The new world is coming sooner rather than later.
Welcoming Oklahoma and Texas
The moves do not become official until July, but both schools will be represented by administrators and coaches this week. Greg Sankey’s first big expansion move is now a reality with Oklahoma and Texas joining the Southeastern Conference.
Expect the Sooners and Longhorns to get a ton of attention this week as the two massive college brands enter a new league with high expectations. Steve Sarkisian and Brent Venables will now get to sit in on their first in-person head coach meetings this week.
The Jaden Rashada lawsuit
Last week, a Georgia quarterback sued Florida’s head coach. Yes, you read that right. House v. NCAA will not be the only legal matter worth discussing this week.
Arizona State transfer Jaden Rashada committed to Georgia on April 25 and the former Florida signee filed a lawsuit less than a month later in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida claiming the Gators lied to get Rashada to flip his commitment from Miami.
Florida head coach Billy Napier, former Florida director of NIL and player engagement Marcus Castro-Walker, and booster Hugh Hathcock were named as defendants. The lawsuit will generate some buzz in Destin this week.
Expect Greg Sankey and members from Georgia and Florida to all be asked about Rashada’s suit this week. This feels like one of the most SEC stories of all time.
Future football schedules
Last year at the SEC Spring Meetings, discussions surrounding the future schedule were the No. 1 topic. The 8-game vs. 9-game battle got drug out into the summer after the members and SEC office could not come to an agreement. With ESPN not willing to add more money to the current media rights deal, the league decided to roll with a two-year plan that includes eight games with a rotating schedule and no divisions.
But changes are likely coming in 2026 with the College Football Playoff expanding to 14 teams. The revenue-sharing variable could also bring up the scheduling format.
An additional conference game could bring more revenue to everyone in the conference. There will also be more wiggle room for teams to get into the postseason once the playoff field expands to 14 teams. All current signs tell us that the SEC is heading to a nine-game conference schedule sooner rather than later.
Future schedule talk will not have spotlight coverage, but it will be an important part of this week. The conference needs to get a permanent schedule model locked in starting in 2026.
John Calipari at Arkansas
The SEC Spring Meetings are a football-driven event with much of the discourse surrounding what will happen on the gridiron, but that is not the only sport getting work done this week. The men’s basketball coaches will also make the trip to Destin and that will include some of the recent hires.
Mark Pope, Porter Moser (Oklahoma), Rodney Terry (Texas), and Mark Byington (Vanderbilt) will all make the trip to Destin for the first time. John Calipari will be making the same trip but with a different school logo on his polo.
The new Arkansas head coach will be representing a new team and that will bring a certain level of shock after a long run at Kentucky. These conference meetings will be yet another reality check moment for the Big Blue Nation and the individuals who cover the SEC. Calipari really left Kentucky for another school in the conference.
Do not be surprised to see Calipari on “The Paul Finebaum Show” discussing his new gig with Arkansas while also being asked a ton of questions about Kentucky.
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