SEC commissioner Greg Sankey previews league’s spring meetings, talks grad transfer rule
Published:
The Southeastern Conference has much on the agenda heading into the 2017 edition of the league’s annual spring meetings in Destin, Fla. Perhaps no topic looms larger than the SEC’s current rules when it comes to graduate transfers. Considering former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire is reportedly waiting to see if the league amends its current graduate transfer rules, the league meeting could directly impact the East division race if the rule is altered.
As it stands now, schools cannot take graduate transfers for three seasons if it has taken graduate transfers in the past and those players do not earn their graduate degree at the new school. Florida took in two graduate transfers in 2015, Mason Halter and Anthony Harrell, both of which did not meet academic requirements at the school. Thus, for the time being, Florida cannot accept Zaire as a graduate transfer.
Heard from sources close to #ND transfer Malik Zaire he’s leaning towards UF & is waiting to see if SEC amends rule clearing him to go to UF
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) May 30, 2017
However, that rule will be up for debate this week during the spring meetings. Considering the SEC has a more strict graduate transfer rule than other Power 5 conferences, some coaches may feel they are at a competitive disadvantage over other leagues. That’s something SEC commissioner Greg Sankey recently discussed with the SEC Network’s Tony Barnhart.
“If you back up and look at our conference we (first) said that you need two years of eligibility (left) to play as a transfer and for a while that was wise,” Sankey said to Barnhart. “You need to recruit and develop (student-athletes) and watch them graduate.
“But the culture has changed around us. The transfer culture is different. People are graduating at a more rapid pace and have eligibility remaining. We will see the will of this conference this week (and) whether or not the graduate transfer culture will be more standard (with other conferences).”
Sankey also discussed the new NCAA rule that has come under fire by many, not allowing college programs to hire high school coaches as low-level assistants to gain an advantage in recruiting. While Sankey admits the rule is more necessary for college basketball, he notes high school coaches still have an avenue to the college game as a full-time member of a college staff.
“We’ve had (the rule) in basketball for a number of years because there was the perception that deals were being made. I’m not convinced that it was happening in football the way it was happening in basketball. But the perception has grown,” Sankey said. “No one is going to be stopped from being employed. You just to have to employ them as a (full-time) coach—not as an analyst or behind the scenes (staff member) if you’re interested in recruiting a student-athlete (associated with them). There will be a need to be more intentional from a hiring standpoint or a recruiting standpoint.”
One more interesting note came from the interview with Sankey. Don’t look for another Florida-LSU debacle we got last year when their initial game was postponed due to concerns regarding a hurricane.
“Is now fair to say that the rules have been changed so that the commissioner is now empowered to resolve such an impasse in the future?” Barnhart asked.
“Yes that is fair to say,” Sankey replied. “It was an oddity of the rules that has now been corrected. And now we hope to have great weather all fall.”
Barnhart’s full interview with Sankey can be read here.
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
