Georgia coach Kirby Smart is not backing off his stance on the SEC possibly cutting ties with the NCAA.
That topic got fresh life Monday when SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters on Day 1 of SEC Media Days that the talk around the league’s potential departure is real, not just background noise. The frustration inside the conference has been building around a college football setup many view as messy and difficult to police, with the NCAA struggling to keep up amid litigation and other obstacles.
Smart, one of the SEC’s most prominent voices, sounded just as firm when asked about Sankey’s remarks Tuesday morning, according to On3Sports’ Brett McMurphy.
“Yeah, I’ve actually been there for a long time,” Smart said.
That answer lined up with what he said back in May at the SEC Spring Meetings, when he made clear he would support the conference taking a hard look at going its own way.
“I’ve been a huge advocate that if we can’t find rules that everybody plays by, then we should play our own,” Smart said. “I’m not afraid of that. I’m not afraid to break away and say that our conference is strong enough.”
Smart pointed to the Protect College Sports Act in May as one possible path toward creating the kind of shared rules he wants. That proposal is still being discussed and has already included a 19-team cap and a 5-year independent requirement for teams moving between power leagues.
It may be a step toward order, but the bigger question remains whether it can actually get traction with the Big Ten and SEC.
In Other News...
Georgia Florida Just Sold Fans Out Again In Rivalry Stunner
The annual Georgia-Florida showdown is heading into another round of change, and not the kind fans on either side of the rivalry were hoping for. With Jacksonvilles stadium undergoing renovations, the game is being shifted away from the usual setup and onto neutral fields, a move that has already stirred plenty of frustration among supporters who would rather see the teams trade home dates on campus.
Instead, the series is slated for Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027, a decision that keeps the rivalry alive but strips away some of its familiar edge. The financial upside is hard to ignore, with both programs expected to bring in significant revenue from the arrangement, but the backlash has been just as immediate as fans and some media voices question whether the schools are putting dollars ahead of tradition. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Becks NFL Payday Reignites Georgias Biggest Transfer Debate
Carson Becks move from Georgia to Miami was always about more than a change of scenery. He chased an NIL opportunity, then put himself on an NFL path that ended with the Arizona Cardinals taking him in the third round of the 2026 draft, a reminder of how quickly the money conversation can shift once a quarterback gets back in the leagues evaluation cycle.
For Georgia, the lingering question is the one that has hovered over the transfer era from the start: what if Beck had stayed and let Kirby Smarts program keep polishing him for the next level? Smart has long sold the idea that the Bulldogs real value lies in preparing players for NFL success, not simply maximizing college earnings, and Becks case only sharpens that debate for anyone wondering whether the bigger payday was always waiting in Athens. [Read more 🡒]
Raylen Wilson Had The Perfect Response To Georgia Doubters Again
At SEC Media Days, Raylen Wilson was once again handed a question Georgia has heard plenty of lately: why so many people are leaning toward Texas in the conference race. The Bulldogs linebacker didnt bite. Instead, he kept the focus on what Georgia can actually control, framing the conversation around improvement and preparation rather than preseason noise.
It is a familiar posture for a program that has spent the last two seasons winning the SEC while watching Texas collect plenty of the hype. Wilsons answer fit the tone Georgia has tried to maintain under that kind of outside attention, with the message staying the same even as the predictions keep coming in: opinions are out there, but the work inside the building is what matters. [Read more 🡒]