SEC’s Greg Sankey warns of conference-only rules if Congress fails on college sports

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said Wednesday the league won't shy away from conversations about adopting its own rules to address issues in college sports if Congress fails to establish national standards. In fact, those discussions have already begun.Sankey spoke at SEC basketball media days in Birmingham, where basketball-related questions were few and far between. He said the conference will continue to push for federal help but could take a more active role in determining its own policies if Congress falls short.“If change is not accessed or not achieved at that national level, there will be more and more conversation about how we as a conference function and our own decision-making," Sankey said. "We have had rules in the past that apply only to our conference that are more restrictive generally than what might happen nationally. That type of conversation has been initiated, and I would expect it to continue, but we’ll wait to see what happens at the congression