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Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Greg Sankey’s 2023 SEC Media Days press conference

By Caleb Calhoun

Jul 18, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; SEC commissioner Greg Sankey delivers comments to open SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 18, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; SEC commissioner Greg Sankey delivers comments to open SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Power T on the field before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Power T on the field before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Single-division model the leading format

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Building off of the first slide, the rumor from the coaches’ meeting in Destin earlier this year has been confirmed. Divisions in the SEC are all but dead, as the league is moving closer and closer to a single-division format. How that affects Tennessee football is up in the air, but it’s guaranteed to have an impact going forward.

Greg Sankey spoke about the different ways they were trying to format the upcoming new SEC. A pod system with three permanent opponents and the other 12 on a rotating basis was mentioned. There was the possibility of no permanent opponents. Here’s what he said.

"“We have over a quarter century in divisions and we understand all the nuances about how to break ties. We have to dig a bit deeper there with the single division concept in front of us. We want to understand the impact through the use of analytics on bowl eligibility for our teams who are growing their programs, and College Football Playoff access dependent on the number of teams that might be included. There are a range of possibilities being considered.”"

The Vols could benefit or suffer from this. If everything is a rotating basis, no team will have an advantage. However if teams have three permanent opponents, well, UT could have Alabama, Auburn and Vanderbilt, or they could have South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

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Neither would be the most helpful. It’s possible, though, that they get a huge break and draw South Carolina, Kentucky and Vanderbilt or Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Missouri. Vandy and UK are their two longest-running opponents, after all. Either way, no divisions anymore does help Tennessee football, as Alabama and Auburn would’ve moved to the East.

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