Greg Sankey gets emotional discussing decision to cancel 2020 SEC Tournament
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It’s clear based on the video below that SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey had no intention of canceling the tournament until he felt he had to do it.
When that emotional decision was made, the conference moved forward and canceled the 2020 SEC Tournament on Thursday.
Based on the latest developments and the continued spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Southeastern Conference today announced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2020 Men’s Basketball Tournament in Nashville.
“We understand that this decision will be disappointing to our student-athletes and coaches who have been preparing all season to compete in this event as well as viewers at home,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “While this was not an easy decision, the health and well-being of our entire SEC community is of paramount importance.”
The SEC’s regular season champion, the University of Kentucky, will be awarded the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The SEC will provide additional updates on other scheduled SEC championship events as they become available. The SEC reminds everyone to be attentive to everyday preventive actions identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov).
This unprecedented moment will not be one soon forgotten by Sankey, who said during his Thursday press conference that the inability to give any players the lifetime opportunity of winning the SEC crown was not a decision he made lightly.
The SEC commissioner recalled one of his favorite moments of the league tournament which came back in 2008 when a tornado forced the relocation of the tournament and the joy he saw that day from one of the Bulldog players.
“We had a doubleheader for one team in Georgia, Kentucky played. Georgia won,” Sankey said. “Georgia won again and then Georgia won the championship and there’s a student-athlete on that team walking down the hallway carrying our championship trophy saying, ‘This is the best day of my life.’ I have felt the responsibility to give another team that opportunity, but the greater responsibility is the health and the information that’s come about.”
“I have felt a responsibility to give another team that opportunity [to win an SEC Championship], but the greater responsibility is the health and the information that’s come about.” pic.twitter.com/J75AB1aj5O
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 12, 2020
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
