Greg Sankey Makes Feelings Clear on SEC’s Tampering Stance After Big Ten’s Bold Call

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College football’s two most powerful conferences are on a collision course over tampering, and the SEC just drew a firm line in the sand against the Big Ten’s latest proposal. Dabo Swinney’s rules for the tampering plea took an interesting turn. After the Big Ten’s massive push against bringing new rules, even SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey doubled down on the stance. Sankey acknowledged the rules are outdated but insisted they must be followed.

The Big Ten sent a letter saying that the House settlement, which started the revenue-sharing system in college sports, has made the current rules hard to follow. They asked for an immediate pause on enforcing NCAA bylaw 13.1.1.4, the rule that prohibits schools from contacting athletes at another school without permission.

Greg Sankey said, “Don’t expect any such letter from the SEC,” but he noted that school presidents and chancellors did talk about the issue during their meetings last week.

“We included the tampering discussion on our agenda. We did have that conversation,” Sankey said.

However, Sankey said the SEC is not asking the NCAA to stop investigating or punishing schools for tampering. He also said that some of the rules are old-fashioned (“archaic”), but breaking the tampering rules is still not allowed.

“That does not describe where we are as a league,” Sankey said.

Well, it all started after Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in January that Ole Miss was involved in tampering, which means trying to illegally recruit players from other schools. He claimed that Ole Miss coach Pete Golding texted Luke Ferrelli, a linebacker transferring from Cal, while Ferrelli was in class at Clemson.

Golding allegedly asked about Ferrelli’s buyout and even sent a photo of a $1 million contract offer. Ferrelli later entered the transfer portal again and ended up at Ole Miss. That’s when Swinney filed a case against Golding, claiming he had solid proof. Though they denied releasing documents about Swinney’s accusations through FOIA requests, the fear is still present.

In today’s era, NIL and the transfer portal play a very important part in changing game dynamics. No one knows it better than the Big Ten, as they have been winning the championship title since 2023 because of heavy NIL use. Ohio State invested around $20 million in its 2024 roster; they won the title. Michigan got Bryce Underwood from LSU with a $10.3 million deal. Even Duke lost their QB, Darian Mensah, to Miami.

So luring players away with better NIL has become very common in college sports. Not tampering has now become a competitive disadvantage for the teams, as they can miss out on exceptional players and end up losing. Now, tampering with players away is not allowed, but it’s more on coaches and players to maintain that rule rather than asking for immediate action.

“Everybody who has made that comment has a responsibility to make a system work, everybody,” Sankey said. “And, so, it’s fine to complain. I think what’s reflected is what is being done individually to solve the problem.”

Sankey also said he has never asked Congress for an antitrust exemption, but he thinks lawmakers can help make college sports rules clearer and more consistent. He says the main focus should be on the SCORE Act, which makes rules for players’ NIL deals and lets the NCAA safely manage transfers and contracts, instead of changing TV or media deals.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss reportedly has evidence that other schools have also tampered with its players.

Pete Golding’s team takes a major step

The NCAA is investigating Ole Miss for trying to recruit players from other schools in ways that break the rules. At the same time, Ole Miss says it has proof that coaches from other schools also did the same thing.

For example, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Ole Miss coach Pete Golding tried to recruit a Clemson player improperly. Ole Miss also says Lane Kiffin and LSU broke the rules with their players. If these claims are true, it could lead to more investigations and coaches getting suspended from games.

“Ole Miss’ defense is, ‘Well, look what we have on other schools. Look what we have on Lane Kiffin and LSU.’ ‘OK, cool,” OutKick reporter Trey Wallace said. “You want to come after us, your next stop better be Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Or your next stop should be [pick your] college town.”

So, now coming to a common ground becomes tougher than ever. Let’s wait and see if the NCAA actually passes strict rules or if it all remains the same.

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