The SEC has never been short on drama - it’s part of what makes the conference so compelling. But lately, the chaos has started to feel less like a feature and more like a flaw. Between eyebrow-raising recruiting tactics and growing concerns about NIL compliance, commissioner Greg Sankey finds himself at the center of a storm that’s becoming harder to ignore.
Let’s start with Alabama and Ole Miss, two programs currently drawing the wrong kind of attention.
At Alabama, men’s basketball coach Nate Oats made waves by bringing Charles Bediako back into the fold - three years after Bediako initially declared for the NBA Draft. In a vacuum, that might just be a quirky roster move.
But given Alabama’s recent history, including the high-profile Brandon Miller-Darius Miles incident, it’s impossible not to view this through a more critical lens. The optics aren’t great, and the decision has left many around college basketball scratching their heads.
Meanwhile, over in Oxford, Ole Miss football coach Pete Golding is under fire for a recruiting move that’s raising serious compliance questions. Golding reportedly reached out to a Clemson commit - linebacker Luke Ferrelli - via text while the player was still in class at Clemson.
Not only did Golding ask about his buyout, but he ultimately flipped the recruit. That kind of contact could constitute a Level II NCAA violation, and it’s the kind of aggressive approach that, while increasingly common in the NIL era, still tests the boundaries of what’s acceptable.
These aren’t just isolated incidents. They’re part of a growing pattern that suggests the SEC is operating in a gray area - and sometimes stepping well over the line. The question now is whether Sankey is willing, or even able, to rein things in.
The commissioner’s job isn’t just to manage the business of the conference - it’s to protect its reputation. And right now, that reputation is taking hits from all sides.
Critics are asking whether anyone at Alabama or Ole Miss is even capable of feeling embarrassed. That may sound harsh, but it underscores the frustration many feel about the current state of affairs.
And it doesn’t stop there.
According to a recent report, two SEC schools - though not publicly named - are currently in violation of compliance policies set by the College Sports Commission, an organization established under the administration of President Donald Trump to oversee NIL enforcement. These schools reportedly aren’t using the required NIL Go system, a key part of the House Settlement framework designed to bring some order to the ever-evolving NIL landscape.
The College Sports Commission, which now functions as a kind of enforcement arm for the NCAA, is said to be struggling with bandwidth and enforcement power. That’s a problem - because if rules aren’t being enforced, they’re not really rules. And if SEC programs are openly skirting those rules, it sends a message that this is still the wild west, with little accountability.
There’s even chatter that some schools are using promissory notes to work around NIL guidelines - a workaround that, if true, would further undermine the system’s credibility. The concern is that without stronger oversight, things won’t just be chaotic - they’ll be downright feral.
All of this puts Sankey in a tough spot. He’s long been viewed as one of the most capable and influential commissioners in college sports.
But this moment demands more than just steady leadership - it calls for action. Sankey needs to show that the SEC can still lead, not just in championships and TV deals, but in integrity and governance.
Because if he doesn’t, the message will be clear: the conference that once set the standard is now struggling to keep up. And in today’s rapidly changing college sports landscape, standing still is the same as falling behind.