Greg Sankey will continue to be the SEC commissioner until at least 2028.

The conference announced the contract extension on Thursday after he began on June 1, 2015 when he became the 8th commissioner of the SEC. Sankey is widely considered one of the top leaders in college sports, and has been at the front of major issues, such as the conference’s handling of the pandemic, a new TV deal with Disney and the expansion of Oklahoma and Texas.

“Greg Sankey continues to lead the SEC effectively through these challenging times for college athletics,” said University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead who recently completed a two-year term as President of the SEC. “Under his visionary stewardship and commitment to collaboration among our members, the SEC has emerged as the nation’s most stable and successful athletic conference. Today’s announcement reflects our enthusiastic endorsement of Greg’s ongoing leadership of our conference to even greater heights.”

Sankey, 58, first joined the SEC staff in 2002 as associate commissioner for governance and later added supervision of the league’s championships staff to his responsibilities. He was elevated to executive associate commissioner and chief operating officer for the league office in 2012, becoming responsible for the day-to-day operation of the SEC Office.

“I am grateful for the continued opportunity to serve and support the universities and student-athletes of the Southeastern Conference and I appreciate the confidence placed in me by the SEC’s presidents and chancellors,” Sankey said in a release. “I look forward to working with the leaders of our member universities as we meet the challenges ahead for college athletics, seek to sustain the success of our Conference and fulfill our mission to provide our young people with the opportunity to grow academically and challenge themselves through elite competition.”