As the SEC looks to open another football season, the question was raised to Greg Sankey about how the league will handle possible forfeits or no contests related to roster availability and positive tests.

The commissioner spoke at the SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama after the league moved several games, and had others postponed to later in the season. The Vanderbilt-Georgia game at the end of the season, for example, was called off.

“You hope not to have disruption, but hope is not a plan is the great cliche,” Sankey said. “We still have roster minimums that exist, just like last year. What I’ve identified for consideration among our membership is we remove those roster minimums and you’re expected to play as scheduled. That means your team needs to be healthy to compete, and if not, that game won’t be rescheduled. Thus, to dispose of the game, the forfeit word comes up at this point. That’s not a policy, and what you see now are the bookends about decision-making.”

Sankey earlier said six of 14 SEC teams have reached the 80 percent vaccination threshold.

Earlier in his address, Sankey said COVID-19 vaccines are widely available, proven to be highly effective and, when people are fully vaccinated, we all have the ability to avoid serious health risks, reduce the virus’ spread and maximize our chances to experience college sports—and life—like we are accustomed.