In short
Rich Eisen’s Hour 1 opens with Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa being benched for Quinn Ewers with three games left, then pivots to a wide-ranging conversation with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey about college football’s “time of change” (NIL, transfer portal, coaching turnover, playoff expansion).
Guest backgrounds
Greg Sankey is the SEC commissioner and president of the conference. (Other guests are mentioned for later hours: Kurt Warner, Todd McShay, actor Gary Cole.)
Key claims
Dolphins are “kicking tires” on Ewers despite Tua’s large contract; Rich argues the benching signals serious doubt about Tua’s future and highlights Miami’s massive potential dead-cap hit (citing figures like $99.2M over two years). Sankey says frustration is rising, rules need “tweaking,” and national standards are central; he supports moving from the current 12-team playoff to 16.
Notable examples
Alabama vs Oklahoma in the first playoff games; Sankey references court-driven transfer/eligibility changes and coaching buyout timing; he discusses 12-team timing and expects controversy over low-ranked conference champions.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOPreview of Today's Guests
0:34 to 0:56
Rich introduces the guests for today's show including SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.
“It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks.”
Preview of Today's Guests
1:23 to 2:21
Rich introduces the guests for today's show including SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.
“The 2025 NBA Cup champions, your New York Knicks.”
Tua Benched: Reaction and Analysis
2:21 to 4:28
Rich discusses the impact of Tua being benched and the implications for the Dolphins.
“I don't know why the finger of blame is out.”
Tua's Future and Contract Implications
4:28 to 14:01
Rich analyzes Tua's contract situation and possible future decisions for the Dolphins.
“News breaking today that we start the show with.”
Tua Benched and Cap Analysis
14:01 to 16:14
Discussion on Tua's benching and Miami's salary cap situation.
“the cap goes up every year it's kind of like if you want to do what cost of living it's as close to apples to apples as you can get.”
Jalen Hurts and Eagles' Performance
18:22 to 20:58
Analyzing Jalen Hurts' performance and Eagles' playoff prospects.
“ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance.”
Fan Expectations and Player Reactions
20:58 to 26:56
Discussion on fan expectations of player emotions and reactions.
“he could have been the MVP quarterback in a losing effort.”
Transition to Greg Sankey
26:56 to 27:45
Teasing the upcoming guest Greg Sankey and discussing SEC.
“I think Philly fans would prefer that he had the emotion like Harper or Schwarber or those guys.”
Introduction of SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey
28:44 to 29:08
Rich Eisen introduces SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey to discuss college football.
Current State of College Football
29:08 to 30:25
Commissioner Sankey discusses the changing landscape and challenges in college football today.
“greg sankey yeah it's a time of change i think in uh in the midst of change there are sound fundamentals.”
Show all 17 chapters
Transfer Rules and Player Standards
30:25 to 32:09
Sankey explains the complexities and frustrations surrounding transfer rules and player standards.
“And my question is, is who's going to where when can we actually corral these things, Commissioner?”
Coaching Contracts and Recruiting Decisions
32:09 to 34:28
Discussion on the implications of coaching contracts, buyouts, and the timing of recruitment in college sports.
“And those are all different elements that are imposed externally.”
Contracts for Players and Solutions for Issues
34:28 to 36:33
Sankey addresses the need for player contracts and discusses potential solutions to ongoing issues in college sports.
“where you could promote coaches' stability, seems to me that's something we can actually control first rather than every individual contractual relationship.”
National Standards and Legislative Challenges
36:33 to 39:25
The conversation turns to the importance of national standards and the challenges of navigating legislation in college sports.
“Because there's scheduling issues as well.”
Collaboration and Complexity in College Sports
39:25 to 42:00
Sankey discusses the necessity for collaboration in college sports and the complexities that arise from it.
“That's one of the many reasons I love talking to you, Commissioner Sankey, is your grasp of the issues and obviously the seat that you occupy and the ability to communicate it.”
Discussion with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey
42:00 to 45:32
Insights into the complexities of college sports governance and playoff expansion.
“The NCAA has made some progress at narrowing that decision making band.”
The Challenge of Reforming College Athletics
45:32 to 46:38
The difficulties in addressing college athletics issues and the implications of excluding programs.
“What am I going to show the receipts to me?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Rich Eisen:Thinking about refreshing the carpet in your home? Now's the time to do it. For a limited time at the Home Depot, get 10 % off installed carpet projects on trusted brands like LifeProof, LifeProof with PetProof Technology, Home Decorators Collection, and Traffic Master. Plus, with installation starting at just 49 cents per square foot, upgrading your space is more affordable than ever at the Home Depot. Offer valid June 11th, 2026 through June 28th, 2026. Exclusions apply. For licenses, see homedepot.com slash license numbers. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new.
0:36Rich Eisen:It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime.
1:13But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel.
1:17Rich Eisen:Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. The 2025 NBA Cup champions, your New York Knicks. This is the Rich Eisen Show. The New York Knickerbockers. Wow. The Rich Eisen Show. He was wild, man. Today's guests, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, The Ringer NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay, Actor Gary Cole, And now, it's Rich Eisen.
2:20Rich Eisen:So I blame you, which is weird because I like when you listen to our podcast. Don't blame them. I don't know why the finger of blame is out. It's just that time of year. And 844-204-RICH is the number to dial on the program. In the middle of this first hour, the president of the United States of the Southeastern Conference is joining us on this program. He's his presidentialist. They come in college athletics. He is the commissioner of the SEC. It's always a great chat when Greg Sankey zooms into this program, and I'm assuming he will zoom in standing from his office, as he frequently does whenever he joins us.
2:58Rich Eisen:On the outset of the college football playoffs, the two first games of the college football playoffs involves not one, not two, but three teams from the SEC, including two playing against one another. Alabama versus Oklahoma on Friday night on the ESPN family of networks. Greg Sankey's joining us. And then our number two, Kurt Warner will hit us up, as always, on a Wednesday. And then Todd McShay, we figured let's check in on the draft since two-thirds of the league in the National Football League by the end of this weekend could be eliminated from postseason play. About half of the league is out already.
3:39Rich Eisen:So Todd McShay will look over the steering wheel. Maybe we'll talk a little bit of college football with him as well. and then the actor Gary Cole of NCIS, but also of Dodgeball, of Talladega Nights, of Office Space, of Veep. Lots to talk about with Gary Cole when he stops by an hour number three. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you? Hey, Rich, I'm great. How are you? DJ Mikey D is in D's nuts. Morning, Rich. TJ Jefferson knocked over his how about them Cowboys whiteboard because he was looking for the finger of blame. There it is. You just can't go pointing this at our podcast list.
4:12Rich Eisen:Okay, I can't do it. We have a finger of blame. But they can just call and leave messages on our Instagrams or X's. I guess it's a second we can't call. Just sliding is what we call it. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. News breaking today that we start the show with. With all due respect to my New York Knickerbockers winning the NBA Cup last night over Victor Wembonyama and the Spurs in Las Vegas. The breaking news comes out of the National Football League. Listen, I like being right here on the program talking about the Miami Dolphins being eliminated from the playoffs on Monday night by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
4:52Rich Eisen:Ironically, the team that they made a trade with between the Steelers and the Dolphins early on in the calendar year for football. Certainly being played Jalen Ramsey and John Smith from Minka Fitzpatrick. And I was talking about, hey, I think Tua and McDaniel are going to be back. and the reason why I said Tua Tungavailoa was going to be back is because of his big fat contract which we'll get to in a second. Then Mike McDaniel we got a sound bite from him on the Tuesday program the day after being eliminated and his response about whether Tua was going to still be the quarterback in the final three remaining games this year even though they do not have anything to do with the Dolphins playing in the postseason this year.
5:35Rich Eisen:He said everything's on the table. I'm like okay well that's interesting because the table is filled with guaranteed dollars for two in 2026. And then comes the news today that, you know, it's on the table. Quinn, you were starting for the Miami Dolphins against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 16. And that is it. Our buddy Tom Pellicero also tweeting it out today. And his future, as he says, is now clearly up in the air as the Dolphins are kicking the tires on the seventh round selection out of Texas, who a lot of folks thought should stay in college football one more year, make more money in his name, image, and likeness front.
6:14Rich Eisen:But he came out, slipped all the way down to the seventh round, basically held the beer of Shador Sanders' long-ass draft, and he winds up now becoming a rookie starting quarterback from this rookie class. Cam Ward Jackson Dart Tyler Shutt Shador Sanders Dylan Gabriel now this guy Quinn Ewers Tua Tungo Vailoa has been benched for Quinn Ewers that has happened in Miami just a couple of years after he signed that big fat contract Chris Greer the general manager he was shown the door after nine games this year he's gone and i thought mike mcdaniel would stick with tua because as kurt warner is going to join us an hour two he's always been saying that the mcdaniel system is perfect for tua and if you're going to be sticking with tua which the contract seems to demand then mcdaniel is the guy but mcdaniel now saying let's take a look at quinn yours it's kind of gutsy on his part indeed to say the least unless he's like what else do i have to lose that i think is a part of it or they are all sitting there in the front office and ownership and mcdaniel's maybe been told you're sticking you're still here we're not gonna we're not gonna dead cap you obviously coaches aren't on the cap but a lot of owners don't like paying coaches to not work for him and maybe they basically said let's see what we got because if we're gonna go into this offseason wondering about to his future we might as well see if we got the guy here and we'll see i don't know does anybody know zach wilson must be sitting there saying what does a kid have to do to get one more chance in this league because zach's sitting there and he might be perfect for this system but and maybe if quinn ewers does not perform well against cincinnati in miami's final two games of the year maybe Zach will get the shot don't know we'll hear what McDaniel has to say and those are two crucial games not just obviously from Miami's evaluation at the quarterback spot but Tampa and New England that means a lot to them and by the way to Carolina and Buffalo as to whether those teams win or lose so the Dolphins making this move with all due respect to your fantasy team.
8:52Rich Eisen:In reality, this is big time stuff. And what of Tua moving forward?
9:02Rich Eisen:Well, if this is the end, because this just is 100%, what more lack of confidence, vote of no confidence can you get then you're benched over the final three games of a season. And we need to see what we have with the rest of the quarterback room. It doesn't matter what your contract says. So they're seriously considering moving on with life without Tua. And if they cut him, if they say we're done here, I don't want to get too deep into the designating it after June 1st cut sort of stuff. I'm not a capologist. I don't play one on TV. I read. I talk to people. I have explained to me. Process. Bye, folks.
9:59Rich Eisen:Thank you, Tom Pelissero. And the dead cap hit for Tua Tungo-Vailoa. Would look at the$85 million dead cap hit that the Broncos took with Russell Wilson. They would hold its beer. The$85 million that Russell Wilson was dead capped on the Broncos' ledger is nothing compared to the$99.2 million cap hit that Tua would be counting for over the next two years. You can split it up. post-June 1st cut. $67.4 million in next year's cap and then$31.8 million in the 2027 cap for Miami. Ouch. Now, if they stick with him next year, one more year, because he's due$54 million guaranteed in 2026, if they stick with him and say, all right, we're going to pay you$54 million, you might as well quarterback our team, and then they decide it's another lost year or this we've really given it every possible shot he's gone then the next year the 31.8 million dollar cap hit in 2027 would only go up you got this exact number here it would only go up a brief touch and it would go up to $34.8 million.
11:32Rich Eisen:Because he's only owed$3 million in guarantees for 2027. Okay, on March 15th. Now this is, again, wild if they do it. And you look at that and go, well, that would just be impossible to overcome. Again, you look to Denver. Denver. Cuts Russell Wilson, says, we are paying you your money to go play somewhere else. And we're taking$85 million over two years on our cap. And we're going to then draft a new quarterback. How'd that work out for Denver? Because at the time, I'm like, good luck to you building a team that way. When you're paying a rookie quarterback that little, you're supposed to spend more money around him and try and win in his first contract that's the jackpot in the nfl draft one win in his first year when you could pay a bunch of other people and then you'll deal with paying him moving forward but at least you'll know when you pay him moving forward he's already won one and he's worth the money as opposed to what we're talking about right here where you're betting on we saw enough attitude to him and we don't want him to walk and we believe in him high register so we gotta pay him and so what's denver done with that massive dead cap hit they've only won 22 games and they're currently the one seed two years into it with three games to go with bo nicks looking terrific and nobody wondering what's up now the difference between the russ stuff the denver stuff and what this is right now is the reason why they dead capped him and did all that is he was due$37 million guaranteed investing the next year.
13:27Rich Eisen:As we're talking about here, it's just$3 million here. That's way less. So the Dolphins can absolutely keep Tua because they don't have to dead cap him because there's so much more money to come. Also, you could make the case that Denver's roster was a little bit better than Miami's right now. two years ago you can make the case sean payton's also a coach that you can believe in because of his track record so it's not really apples to apples here but if you're miami you're like i'm looking at denver and the difference between their dead cap and our dead cap hit is 14 million bucks the cap goes up every year it's kind of like if you want to do what cost of living it's as close to apples to apples as you can get.
14:15Rich Eisen:We believe in our roster, and we just believe enough that Tua ain't it anymore, and we're out. So my supposition of a couple days ago of, yeah, Tua will be there, maybe proven correct at the end, but right now I'm a little bit more on shaky ground believing myself from two days ago. Rich, like you, I also like being right. I try to tell everyone for years about these contracts, You don't have to do it. Right. And now Miami is an absolute cap hell because of it. Yeah, because Denver in year two of the dead capping of Russ, which is this year,$32 million on their cap this year. By the way, Russell Wilson is$32 million on the Broncos cap this year, and they have 12 wins, and they're the one seed in the AFC with three games to go.
15:09Rich Eisen:So they still had 52 million in cap space coming in this year. You know, they signed Hufanga. They signed a whole bunch of other players, too.
15:22So, man, that's what's up in Miami.
15:27Rich Eisen:Tua Tungo-Mailoa has been benched for Quinn Ewers with three games to go. And the Dolphins are absolutely kicking tires on the kid they drafted and the notion of taking on almost nine figures in dead cap money over the next two years. That's the headline. The Wednesday before week 16. 844-204-RICH, number to dial right here on the program. Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, when we return, will also juxtapose the Tua news with another individual who's kind of attached at the hip with him elsewhere in the National Football League. That's what's called a tease. still to come here also kurt warner on what he thinks of two is benching coming up
16:14Rich Eisen:rich eisen here with some advice if high interest credit card debt is grinding you down it might be time to call an audible with a sofi personal loan it consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required and with as soon as the same day funding you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debt play. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play. A bandwagon fan. The biggest insult in sports. But this summer during the FIFA World Cup, it's an invitation, America.
16:54Rich Eisen:Never watched soccer before? Perfect. Think a corner kick is a karate move? Sure, why not? Prefer sports where players can use their hands? Me too. Just here for the snacks? Now we're talking. So grab a bag of Lay's and jump on the bandwagon. We're undefeated. Lay's, the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Rich Eisen here. You ever notice what happens when something big rolls into your city? A major tournament, a can't-miss concert, a high-stakes playoff game. Suddenly, fans are everywhere. It feels like everyone's trying to get in. Streets are packed. Hotels book up fast. And finding a place to stay?
17:30Rich Eisen:Not so easy. That's exactly why this can be a smart moment to think about your own space. If you're planning to be away, you can list your space on Airbnb while all of that's going on and earn some extra cash at the same time. You're not changing your routine. You're just making the most of the moment. From my years on the road, I can tell you what people are looking for during these big events. a comfortable home base, something that feels like their own space in the middle of all the action. And when options are limited, places like yours could really stand out. So if you've ever thought about listing your space, this is a great time to give it a shot.
18:07Rich Eisen:When your city is at its busiest, your home could be exactly what someone is looking for. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.
18:22Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Why are you fat shaming me? ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance. See why over 43 million drivers trust Progressive to stay protected on the road. See for yourself at Progressive.com. Okay. I figured on this day that Tua gets benched for Quinn Ewers. we should check in on the latest with a guy who is attached at the hip with this guy forever and it's the guy who was starting in alabama who got benched on a particular night of football when nobody saw it coming and tua comes in and he throws the game-winning touchdown pass to win the national championship for Alabama and Jalen Hurts is in front of the whole country acting the best he could because that's his default.
19:26Rich Eisen:That's his default. All class, stuck with the program, actually was called upon in crucial action the following year. And then Tua gets drafted before Justin Herbert in the first round. And then Jalen Hurts gets drafted by the the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round, everyone's wondering why Carson Wentz is here, what's going on? I mean, his story is the stuff of legend, as you know. And he, on this day, that Tua gets benched for Quinn Ewers, is the reigning Super Bowl MVP quarterback in a town where he's still hearing it from fans about, is he good enough? Is he not good enough? Is he the problem?
20:07Rich Eisen:Is it the offensive coordinator that's a problem? Is it the coach that's a problem? All that sort of business. And I keep telling Eagles fans to relax. And part of the reason why I'm saying relax is because, again, I saw their schedule. I saw there's beatable teams. They're not going to collapse and fall out of the playoffs, not win their division. As a matter of fact, their magic number isn't one. It is one for Jalen Hurts to potentially be the two, definitely the three in the NFC playoffs and have a home playoff game. And off we go. And we'll see what happens from there. And we'll find out if he's the guy in the playoffs that we've seen take them to the Super Bowl twice.
20:42Rich Eisen:have two of the best Super Bowls anybody's ever had, metric-wise and certainly in the fact that he could have been the MVP both times. It's true. Look up his numbers since you forget. The first time he played the Chiefs, he could have been the MVP quarterback in a losing effort. But those things don't happen anymore. I don't think they'll ever happen in the rest of our lifetimes. Not at any rate. And part of the reason why I think Philly fans might get frustrated with Jalen is he's like this all the time. All the time. All right. You can never tell what bothers him, if he's bothered. You know, and us sports fans from the Northeast, we want you to knock over a trash can every now and then.
21:29Rich Eisen:You know, we want you to, you know, if you're playing baseball for the Phillies or the Mets or the Yankees, the Red Sox, and you strike out too much, take a bat and beat the crap out of the Gatorade jug every now and then. We want to see that. Or the ball pen phone. Okay. That's the way we fans think that you care. Jalen Hurts doesn't do that. As a matter of fact, at his press conferences, he kind of talks in platitudes. And it's tough to sometimes pick up the gist of what he's saying, or he's just coming up with these phrases that are covering up what we want to know. Are you passed or not? You have a problem with your wide receiver or not?
22:13Rich Eisen:Is it the offensive coordinator again or not? Is it your coach or not? What is it, Jalen? Let us know. You'll never do that. But this soundbite from this very week kind of gives you a glimpse here. It starts like a normal Jalen Hurts exchange, but it doesn't end as one. Hit it. You say perceived pressure. What does that mean? Perceived pressure is perceived pressure. Does that mean that you feel it or does that mean that it's external? I mean, it's perceived. You guys haven't seen the commanders. Isn't that like a like the root word for perception in some regard? Yeah, perception by those who are watching.
23:03Rich Eisen:I'm not watching. I'm living. Sorry. I kind of dig that. I just wonder what the Philly fans feel about this. I don't know. You just got to – I'd love to hear Philly fans saying, I love this guy, one of my quarterbacks for the rest of my life. I don't think that's their feeling about it. I don't feel that either. But, again, we're just sitting here in Los Angeles trying to figure it out. So a guy who took you to two Super Bowls, they don't want this guy? I don't know. That's insanity. You can't take someone whose personality is not to be loud and force it upon them to make them act a certain way to fulfill what you want.
23:51Rich Eisen:No, but I think they want to feel like you care. He does care. He does care. I think he cares more than anybody would know, but what he cares to do is not add any fuel to fire, which makes him a perfect quarterback for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I think. And he's basically like talking about perceived. It's perceived. It's the root of perception. I believe his parents are educators, by the way, which obviously I'm biased about as well, since mine were educators when they were working. And so, yeah, it's from the outside looking and perceived pressure. I'm living it. I live it. So I know what's pressure and what isn't.
24:33Rich Eisen:And I know what's going on in here and what isn't. And I'm just not going to share it with you. because the minute I do or I twitch in that direction, it's on. Maybe he saw what was happening on the western part of the state when a quarterback out there had a weekly radio appearance. I doubt that. I think this is something that's been instilled in him. I think so. It's nothing that he's just trying to put on. You know what I mean? That's not his default. I'm not saying that's not a bad thing. Obviously, it's gotten him this far. He's had a lot of success. I'm just saying from a fan standpoint, you want to feel like the players care as much as you care as a fan.
25:10Rich Eisen:But he does, though. But I don't feel that way listening to him talk each week or seeing him sit on the sideline, you know, stone-faced. Because that's the way he internalizes it, and the way he externalizes it is with his play in pressure situations. You can't win them all, but in the two most pressure situations of his life. How about this? I'll go three. I'll go four. And then I'll screw it. I'll go five. The two most pressure situations of his life, the Super Bowl. Dynamite. Amazing. Stupendous. Okay. The other ones, when he's benched, how do you handle that? That night and throughout it. How do you handle that?
25:56Rich Eisen:The whole country just watch you get your ass sat and the kid who comes in wins it all. By the way, with your future wide receiver. who you've won the Super Bowl with. Long game. He won. Okay. And then the next time is when he decides to stay and Nick Saban turns to him and says, Tua's hurt. We need you. What does he do? He wins the game. I get it. Correct. And then the third time is when he decides to go to Oklahoma. What does he do? Winds up on the Heisman podium. So in him, I would trust. and honestly speaking on behalf of other fans who root for a football team that wears green you don't want them send them up the turnpike 100 and there'd be another team waiting with open arms now i don't know if we're painting all the philly fans with such a broad brush but i i don't know i just love that sound bite i'm not watching i'm living I think Philly fans would prefer that he had the emotion like Harper or Schwarber or those guys.
27:07Rich Eisen:Maybe so. That's all I'm saying. But we're sitting here none of us speaking as Philly fans. Hey Philly fans, give us a call. Tell us what you think. As a New England fan, Tom Brady used to yell and scream and go nuts and yell at everybody on the sidelines. That's a New England attitude. That doesn't always work though. Bucks County, I want to hear from you. Bucks County. Easton. Lower Marion. Let's take a break. Greg Sankey's... Everybody, get your workspaces in line, will you please? Oh, yeah, sorry. Okay. The commissioner of the SEC is about to join us. Let's take a break. Greg Sankey's zooming in as we speak.
27:47Rich Eisen:844-204-RICH, number two dial.
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28:31Rich Eisen:Plus receive four times O rewards points now at O 'Reilly Auto Parts. Coverall delivers long-lasting shine. Visit your O 'Reilly Auto Parts store or OReillyAuto.com. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. rich eyes and show on espn radio presented by progressive insurance the commissioner of the sec greg sankey is here um and we greatly appreciate your time it's right before obviously the college football playoffs that's going down what is your just assessment right now i'm going to open it up and go macro of the state of college football how would you describe it greg sankey yeah it's a time of change i think in uh in the midst of change there are sound fundamentals.
29:16So we'd look at attendance, viewership, interest, feedback. There's a lot of good. There's a lot of opportunity that's been created. But, you know, I'd say frustration levels are higher than maybe we've experienced because if we walk through the economic opportunities provided to young people, the transfer opportunities, the timing of coaching changes which relates to the the bigger calendar so we're talking about macro um those are some of the frontline issues you saw disagreement over college football playoff selections that has occurred for years what's interesting now is rather than argue about like four and five like a couple years ago we're arguing about you know 11 12 13 and 14 um the the issue of needing to make decisions and kind of put some some of those balls that are bouncing around or that are up in the air that we're juggling put them back on the rack if you accept that metaphor i think it's really important to to mitigate that frustration so i think there's you know it's the best of times and the worst of times at each moment in football right now well to me the way i look at it and
Read the full transcript
30:30Rich Eisen:when you say you know hey we used to argue about who's four and five and six now it's just lower down and if the college football playoffs do expand we'll talk about you know 15 16 17 or who knows how many it can get to the thing that i i think is that there's uh not enough rules that need to happen and then the rules that are happening are are need tweaking as you pointed out about when players are allowed to hit the portal coaches needing to make decisions about their futures right at the outset of playoffs. And my question is, is who's going to where when can we actually corral these things, Commissioner?
31:12I'll be happy to corral these things myself. But let's go back and understand the why that we're here. So fundamentally, so let's just take Oklahoma and Alabama Friday night. What the young people on our teams ask is to know that the people across the line of scrimmage are held to the same standards that they're held to. So not having this universe be governed on a state-by-state basis. Now, that started in 2019 with NIL-related legislation, progress to 2021 when it all accelerated. We then have a set of court decisions that have, to a certain extent, governed our ability to make our own decisions around transfer rules.
31:59The same with length of eligibility. The same with seasons of eligibility and how those are calculated. So I saw yesterday somebody's looking for year seven or eight. And those are all different elements that are imposed externally. Now, how do you corral using that word, those issues internally? That is the essential challenge. And it's not that there's not motivation to make decisions. It is what can you control? So what can what decisions might we make on a conference basis? What has to be decided on a national basis? And in what structure can that set of decisions be protected?
32:39Rich Eisen:So let's take it, I guess, if you will, if you don't mind, one at a time, because just in recent days, let's just start again with coaches that can be bought out. you know that a coach can be bought out in a perfect example is what's happening in your conference i mean the video that i i was showing the day that lane kiffin left for all miss putting it on the screen i mean i'm sure you don't want fans showing up at an fbo cursing out a coach as he walks onto a private jet sent by one member school to take him from another member school three million dollars exchanging hands between member schools would you be up for having contracts where coaches aren't allowed to be bought out period end of story well i don't know that that's reality let's go back to the warning that i provided a decade ago which was by making recruiting decisions a december event rather than a february event we have moved from the day when Nick Saban was hired at Alabama, that happened in early mid-January back in what, 2007, 2008, to every head coaching position that was open being decided in late November and early December.
33:55So it's not about one circumstance. And keep in mind, we had a set of what we have, five coaching openings as it happened in this league. And that will happen in other places. We force this calendar to make decisions early. Now, could you do that contractually? Sure. And we've had schools that have put, if you will, non-compete clauses in coaches' contracts within our league that limits their ability to just move. But what's the level of buyout that makes that sufficient? I think there are a set of factors that have to be understood. If we move that recruiting to a different time frame where you could promote coaches' stability, seems to me that's something we can actually control first rather than every individual contractual relationship.
34:38Rich Eisen:Well, I guess, again, I keep extrapolating about to professional football, since it does appear to be that's the way we're working. Like, there's no way the Giants should be able to buy out Ben Johnson in the middle of his Bears season and say, we have an opening, we need you, and we need you now. Obviously, the calendar's different. And, you know, what I mean, like, it seems like it's being professionalized. I have this posted, and again, I know this isn't your conference, but USC football um on or earlier this week they they re-signed their quarterback Jaden Maiava and this looks like a free agent signing in the National Football League to announce that he's re-signed with his team now the way the rules work he has every right to enter a portal or anything like that but do you feel that there needs to be some form of a contract for players where it's not a year-to-year thing, Commissioner Sankey?
35:30There are contracts with players. In fact, there's at least one legal action that's been announced about non-fulfillment of a contract, others that have been rattled. And I think you're asking a question fundamentally about people honoring contracts. So go back to coaching changes. Yes, sir. What do those clauses allow? How are those presented? even with the young people right now who populate our rosters? What do those contracts contemplate? They can do that directly through the revenue sharing or some of their name, image, and likeness activity. How far does it go? So people will advocate, well, collective bargaining is the solution, except that nobody's external rights in professional sports are governed within a collectively bargained agreement.
36:19So there are a set of issues here that are very different than just this direct, we've got 30 or 32 franchises, and that template overlaid on a collegiate template solves every problem.
36:30Rich Eisen:So what does solve every problem in your estimation? Because there's scheduling issues as well. And again, the portal's opening up in the early part of next year, and there's going to be some teams certainly in your conference that are battling for the ultimate prize so what do you think is uh the answer on that what's interesting there is the the move of the portal so remember rich not not so many years ago all the complaints about restrictive nature of transfer rules i've actually had our staff go back and grab the quotes for everybody said hey this changed to to the transfer opportunities in football and basketball it's going to be great.
37:12And now you look at press conferences where the criticism level of those change policies are high. So the transfer portal in football is placed in January after consultation, really guidance from the American Football Coaches Association. The question is, will the football community make that system work? And we're getting complaints about tampering right now. And this isn't like a me problem. This is a we problem where the people who are part of the problem have to also be part of the solution. So I think the first step to identifying what's better is, OK, what do we have to address? So first of all, we put all of this signing activity right after the season ends, really forcing coaching decisions.
37:59So move that. Move that later, whether that's high school or transfer individuals. Let's move that. Right. Let's change that dynamic. The second is we need the ability to set national standards. And if you go to elements of the Alston case, I'm not an attorney, but it says, look, you can keep going through the courts. You can go to Congress. You can look at collective bargaining. I'm not sure those are all the elements. You can go to states and try to have common state legislation. We've tried that. That hasn't been a productive effort. We're now in this congressional conversation because whether we like it or not, Congress does have the ability to set national standards.
38:41Now, whether it will or not, that's a pretty tough proposition in this political environment. And so it's the then what? And it's not just a football dialogue, Rich. That's what's important. Yes. The NBA gets to negotiate around basketball and basketball and only Major League Baseball around baseball and baseball only. We have roughly 21 different sports and people will suggest, hey, let's just separate one out and everything else will be fine. That's not the reality we occupy. So the ability to have national standards really becomes a central conversation because some of these sports are not going to go quietly when you say let's just separate out football.
39:22and we'll deal with these others under some old model.
39:25Rich Eisen:That's one of the many reasons I love talking to you, Commissioner Sankey, is your grasp of the issues and obviously the seat that you occupy and the ability to communicate it. And it's also very frustrating talking to you because everything that I think is a fix you keep telling me isn't real. Well, you know what you and I need to do? Because your conversations stimulate my thinking. We ought to go find an off-camera cup of coffee with about two hours. I'll bring my list and you bring your list and we'll work on solutions rather than the reasons or excuses or concepts. I love that. But I'm assuming the Big Ten individual you're talking to about this sort of stuff is Tony Petiti, your counterpart in the Big Ten.
40:08Rich Eisen:Right. You know, and again, that's that's where I'm I'm always heading is that there are conferences and schools that have similar issues based on, I guess, for the lack of a better phrase, socioeconomic collegiate athletic status and others that do not. and that separating those institutions to come up with a smaller construct in which everybody can agree to a standard set of rules is the way to go. And I'm wondering if that is at least am I on to something there, Commissioner? Let's be careful about how we frame that. So a long time ago, I was at the opposite end of the Division I competitive and economic spectrum when I was commissioner for the Southland Conference.
40:58I see value in those opportunities. A long time ago, I played baseball in an NAIA setting. I graduated from a Division III college. And whether we like it or not, we are in this big-picture ecosystem. That's where you and I started. And what's our responsibility there? Because the NCAA funds Division II and Division III championships off of the Division I men's basketball contract. We should just be open and honest about that. I don't think for a moment that putting a conference like ours or the Big Ten or the ACC and Big 12 in rooms that are filled with everyone from Division one. I don't think that's been a great model for effective decision making because we don't do that in other aspects of higher education.
41:45We don't take and you can pick randomly universities that begin with the same letters as my university. So, you know, you can take Mac Neese and Mississippi State. They don't sit in the same room and make decisions about their campus issues. But we do that in college sports. The NCAA has made some progress at narrowing that decision making band. But you're always going to have to collaborate with solutions. And people will say, well, this should be a czar. And then they'll call me and say, you should be in charge of this whole thing. Yes. I have enough gray hair, and I have less hair than I used to with 16.
42:25Can you imagine that? And now you've got to pick a number. Is it 70? So some people have suggested, hey, just 70 can get together, and this thing will be perfect. Or 130, that's roughly the number in the bowl subdivision. Well, what do you do about the other 220 who all have House members and senators with an interest in them being in Division I and playing in March Madness? that's where I go back to say like if you were just dealing with one sport like the NFL does that's it's not easy but it's less complex than what we have um I don't think though that walking into big rooms field filled with people is is the way for us to solve the really big problems in front of us you're gonna have to narrow that conversation all right in the uh couple minutes
43:08Rich Eisen:I have left commissioner what is your feeling of the college football playoffs as it currently stands, are you up for expanding it? Are you up for tweaking it? What's on your mind as we get set? I think that. So whenever you begin, I think that is an answer. This is my opinion, right? I think that the move to 12 was really well-timed. There's some clunkiness to it because the model was introduced, remember, in 2021. And that was before we expanded with Oklahoma and Texas, before the Big Ten, you know, there's been a domino effect. And we were slow to adapt in real time because we were slow to accept the 12-team idea.
43:46And I was part of the group that introduced 12. I think 12 was right. I think it was done at the right time. When we've talked as a league, we think the move to 16 is the next right step. That provides 11 at-larges. It honors conference champions. And I do expect there's going to be a lot of stress about the low-ranked conference champions that are in this thing right now because they've displaced some much more highly ranked teams. That's the point of controversy. And so I do think we have to continue to adapt. Our league has said 16 is the right next step, whether we can agree upon that or not.
44:23As a group in the college football playoff management committee, that remains to be seen.
44:28Rich Eisen:Well, I send my best to you, sir. I always appreciate your time. And I will definitely reach out for that offline coffee. I will. It'll be on me, Commissioner. And that's not a buyout. That's it. You know what I mean? Like, that's just me saying it. I'm happy. Or we'll put it on Petiti's tab. You won't know. I want to respect the journalistic integrity so we could each pay for our own and produce receipts. We could turn it into a Netflix special. I don't want to cause any trouble for either of us. as we can, but we can try that. Understood. This is Disney Plus, sir. It's all good, though. I'm sure you know the same people I do.
45:08Rich Eisen:Very well. I wish you the best of luck in your travels and everything that you're seeing, and I always, always appreciate our chats. Thank you. Same. And I hope the Disney affiliation works as well for you as it has been for us the last couple of years. It's so far, so good, sir. So far, so good. You take care of yourself. Thanks again. Take care. You bet. That's Commissioner Greg Sankey of the Southeastern Conference right here on the Rich Eisen Show. There he goes. so um who knew 20 minutes was not long enough to solve college uh athletics issues dang it but the number of times like i'm in like here let's all get in a room let's figure it out let's let's find out which member schools there are let's take all the other sports out this is just football and let's figure it out and his answer is like yeah that's not gonna work as he points out like what you kick out 200 other programs and say you're you you can you can be um elevated you can also be relegated and he's like they all have people in capitol hill will be really pissed about that how do you answer that and then you know this funds all the other programs how do you answer that damn it
46:25Rich Eisen:but i gotta get that coffee yeah it seems like that was a good invite i love how he says in produce receipts. What am I going to show the receipts to me? To Susie, obviously. The CEO of Team Isaac. Very good. Very, very good. Yes, she'll be like, why didn't I get a coffee? How come Greg Sankey gets a coffee? All right. Kurt Warner in hour number two. Same thing with Todd McShay. Oh, baby. We're just getting started on this Wednesday. The Ridge Eisen Show Podcast. You can't reason with the sun. Trust us. We've tried. This summer, it's time to put that angry ball of fire on mute. Columbia's OmniShade technology is engineered to protect you from the sun's harsh rays that can burn and damage your skin.
47:12Rich Eisen:The sun is relentless, but so is our gear. Level up your summer at Columbia.com to spend more time outside and less time slathering on aloe lotion. You're welcome. Columbia. Engineered for whatever. OK Gonna return!
From the publisher
Rich weighs in on the Dolphins benching Tua Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers and breaks down the massive salary cap implications for Miami if they decide to move on and cut ties with their franchise QB.
Rich and the guys debate if Jalen Hurts’ mostly stoic demeanor is the main source of Philadelphia Eagles’ fans frustration with the quarterback.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Rich discuss the general state of CFB including the rampant poaching of coaches, players utilizing the Transfer Portal to take more NIL money at other schools, the controversial 12-team College Football Playoff selection process, and more.
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