Greg Sankey denies interest in taking over for Mark Emmert as NCAA president

Greg Sankey has done a great job as the SEC commissioner over the last several years, leading the conference into an era of unprecedented prosperity.

So, naturally, when Mark Emmert announced he’d step down at the end of 2023 as the NCAA president, Sankey’s name was immediately connected to the job.

The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach asked Sankey on Wednesday about his interest in the job, and he said he has none. He added that he’s busy with the job he currently has:

SEC's Greg Sankey on the role of NCAA president: "You've got a Board of Governors that has to figure out their vision for the job. I think there's a need to engage with people leading conferences, leading athletic programs, to understand the demands of a modern athletic program."

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) April 27, 2022

Greg Sankey said he read the news of Mark Emmert's resignation yesterday but focused on various meetings at the moment. (We're at CFP spring meetings today.) "It's not at the forefront of my mind."

Is he happy as the SEC commissioner? "Yeah, as long as they're happy with me."

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) April 27, 2022

That’s good news for the SEC, as it doesn’t appear Sankey is going anywhere. One could argue that Sankey’s current job is better than being the NCAA president anyway.

So, for now, the hunt for Emmert’s successor continues.