Sankey: SEC 'focused on our 16' amid recruitment speculation

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey reiterated Monday that his job is to focus on the conference's current members rather than expansion.

"I'm not a recruiter. My job is to make sure we meet the standard of excellence that we have for ourselves on a daily basis," Sankey said, according to ESPN's Andrea Adelson. "That attracts interest. It's done that with the two universities that we have added this year. They're not the only phone calls I've ever had, but I'm not involved in recruitment."

There's speculation that the SEC could be a landing spot for Florida State and Clemson if they leave the ACC. The programs have filed lawsuits in Florida and South Carolina against the ACC to challenge the league's grant of rights. The conference has sued both schools in an effort to defend its agreement with both members.

Sankey admits that he's aware of Clemson and FSU's situation but maintains that "we're focused on our 16" members.

"Our presidents have been clear that I am not going to entangle us in litigation around expansion. So I pay attention, but I'm not engaged in those conversations," added Sankey.

Texas and Oklahoma are set to make their SEC debut during the 2024 season after conference members voted in 2021 to add the pair of blue-blood programs.

The addition of the former Big 12 programs kicked off another round of realignment. USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington left the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten. Former Pac-12 members Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah landed in the Big 12. The ACC scooped up Cal, Stanford, and SMU, with the Pac-12 dwindling down to just Oregon State and Washington State.