SEC commissioner Greg Sankey says Alabama, Texas A&M will have ‘opportunities’ to replace canceled 2020 games

When the Pac-12 announced its decision to go to a conference-only fall schedule for 2020, it affected two SEC teams. Alabama was scheduled to open the 2020 season against USC in Dallas. Texas A&M was scheduled to host Colorado on Sept. 19. In an interview with Outkick’s Clay Travis, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey discussed the schedule situation for the Crimson Tide and Aggies. He shared optimism that each program will be able to find a replacement opponent.

“The opportunities will be there,” Sankey told Travis. “We’re not alone in having lost non-conference games because of other conference decisions, and so, all of these football programs that have lost opportunities are now looking for games, as well. The good news is, even though we’ve had those two that have slipped away, there will be opportunities for both Alabama and A&M to find other opponents should they move down that pathway.”

Travis asked how the schedule additions might be announced.

“We’ve talked about the interest and opportunities,” Sankey said. “I’ve not asked them, ‘When will you make this decision? And when that might be announced?’ The honest, direct answer is that I don’t know when they’ll make the decision and I don’t when they’ll announce, but I’m certain if they do make that additional game happen that we’ll hear about it in the right time frame.”

While the Pac-12 and Big Ten have announced conference-only schedules, the SEC has not yet made a decision. The conference’s 14 athletic directors recently met in Birmingham and opted to wait until later in the month to make a football schedule decision.

SDS Staff

Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.