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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 McShea. Actor Gary Cole. And now, it's Rich I said. Hey everybody, welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show right in the middle of your work week, Sports Week, right in front of the holiday season. 844-204-Rich, number to dial, whether you're watching us on Disney Plus or the ESPN app, or listening to us on ESPN Radio.
Presented by Progressive Insurance or Sirius XM Channel 80. We wish our podcast listeners could call us, but you're listening to us whenever you want.
So, I blame you. Uh, 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. Um, and 844-204-Rich is the number to dial on the program.
In the middle of this first hour, the uh president of the United States of the Southeastern Conference is joining us on this program. He's as presidential as they come in college athletics. Uh, 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 on the outset of the college football playoffs.
The two first games of the college football playoffs involves. Not one. Not to. 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 hour number two, Kurt Warner will hit us up, as always, on a Wednesday. And then Tod McChay, 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. From postseason play, about half of the league is out already.
So, Todd McShea 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. A veep.
Lots to talk about with Gary Cole when he stops by in 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 indeed nuts. 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.
Okay, I can't do it. You know, 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 single call.
Well, just sliding is what we call it. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial.
Okay. 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. Ironically, the team that they made a trade with. Between the Steelers and the Dolphins. Uh early on in the um In the calendar year for football, certainly being played, Jalen Ramsey and John U. Smith from Inca Fitzpatrick.
And I was talking about: hey, I think Tua and McDaniel are going to be back. And the reason why I said Tuatanga Valoa is 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?
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, what'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 Policero 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 it should stay in college football one more year, make more money in his name, image, and likeness front.
But he came out, slipped all the way down to the seventh round. basically held the beer of Shadur Sanders' long ass draft. And he winds up Now becoming A rookie starting quarterback from this rookie class. Cam Ward. Jackson Dart.
Tyler shot. Shadur Sanders, Dylan Gabriel.
Now this guy. Quinyuers. 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. Yeah, he was showing 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 in an hour too, 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 Euros, 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, too.
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 going to. Dead cap you.
Obviously, coaches aren't on the cap, but a lot of owners don't like paying coaches to not work for them. And Maybe they basically said Let's see what we got because if we're going to 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 Quinures 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. Um and those are two crucial games. Not just obviously from Miami's. Um 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, in reality, This is big time stuff. And what of Tua, moving forward?
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 tour. 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 a June 1st cut sort of stuff.
I'm not a capologist. I don't play one on TV. I read. Talk to people. I have it explained to me by folks.
Thank you, Tom Pellisero. And the dead cap hit. For Tua Tongo Vailoa. Would look at the $85 million cap, dead cap hit that the Broncos took with. Russell Wilson.
They wouldn't 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. Yep. Post June first cut. sixty seven point four million in next year's cap and then 31.8 million in the twenty twenty seven 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 cap hit in 2027 would only go up. We got this exact number here. it would only go up a brief touch. And it would go up to 34.8 million. Because he's only owed $3 million in guarantees.
for twenty twenty seven.
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 R cap. And we're going to then draft a new quarterback. How'd that work out for Denver?
Because at the time when 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 out of two of them, and we don't want them to walk, and we believe in them, higher register.
So we gotta pay him. And so what's Denver done? With that massive dead cap hit. They've only won twenty-two games and they're currently the one seed. Two years into it.
With three games to go? With boneks 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 dollars guaranteed investing the next year. 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 them 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. Mm-hmm.
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, two 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. And now Miami is an absolute cap hell because of it. Yeah, because Denver in year two. of the dead capping of Rust, 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.
So They still had 52 million in cap space coming in this year. You know, they signed Ofonga, they signed. A whole bunch of other players, too.
So Man. That's what's up in Miami. Tuatungo Bailoa has been benched for Quin 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.
We'll also juxtapose the Tuanus 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 Tua's benching coming up. As many of you know, supporting pediatric cancer research is something I care deeply about.
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Okay. I figured on this day. that uh 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.
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 Philadelphia Eagles in the second round. Everyone's wondering why Carson Wins is here.
What's going on? I mean, his story is the stuff of legend, as you know. Yeah. And he on this day that Tua gets benched for quinuers. 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? Is it the offensive coordinator the problem?
Is it the coach is the 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.
Okay. 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, 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 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.
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 ballpen 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 and. 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 pissed or not? You have a problem with your wide receiver or not? Is it the offensive coordinator again or not?
Is it your coach or not? What is it, Jalen? Let us know. They will never do that. But this sound bite 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. Here. You say perceived pressure.
What does that mean? Perceived pressure is perceived pressure. Yeah. Does that mean that you feel it, or does that mean that it's sex term? I mean it's perceived.
Yeah. Yeah from You you guys haven't seen the commanders excuse me. Isn't it like a a uh like the root word for perception in some regard? Get perception by those who are watching. I'm not watching.
I'm living.
Sorry. Back. I kind of dig that. I just wonder what the Philly fans feel about this. I don't know.
I'd love to hear Philly fans saying, I love this guy. I want to my quarterback for the rest of my life. I don't think that's their feeling. I don't feel that either. But again, we're just sitting here.
We're sitting here In Los Angeles, trying to figure it out.
So, a guy who took you to two Super Bowls, they're not, they don't want. This guy, like. I don't, I don't know. That's insanity. You can't take someone who's.
Personality is not to be loud and force it upon them to make them act a certain way to fulfill. Oh, but I think they want to feel like you care. He does care. He does. 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 um So, yeah, it's from the outside looking in perceived pressure. I'm living it. I live it.
So I know what's pressure and what isn't, 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 maybe he saw what was happening on the western part of the state. When a quarterback out there had a weekly uh radio appearance.
I doubt that. I think this is something that's been in him, instilled in him. I think so. It's nothing to begin with. Trying to begin.
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. 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. Uh the other ones. When he's benched. How do you handle that? That night and throughout it.
How do you handle that? The whole country just watches you get your ass sat, and the kid who comes in wins it all. By the way, with your future wide receiver, I mean, long game. 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 Mick Sabin turns him and says, To us, hurt, we need you. What does he do? Yeah, he wins the game. I get it.
Correct. I get it. 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 him, send him up the turnpike. 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 don't know. I just love that soundbite. 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.
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. I want to hear from you.
As a New England fan, Tom Brady used to yell and scream and go nuts and yell at everybody on the sidelines. Again, that's what Northern County is. 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.
Everybody, get your workspaces in line, will you, please? Oh, 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. 844-204-Rich, number two dial.
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Rich Hodgen show on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. The commissioner of the SEC, Greg Sankey, is here, 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? It's a time of change. I think in the midst of change, there are sound fundamentals. We 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, the, I'd say, frustration levels are higher than maybe we've experienced because. As we walk through the economic opportunities provided to young people, the transfer opportunities. The timing of coaching changes, which relates to the bigger calendar, somewhere 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 11, 12, 13, and 14. Um, the issue of needing to make decisions and kind of put 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 is really important 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 what 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 think is that there's uh not enough rules that need to happen And then the rules that are happening. 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: who's going to where when can we actually corral these things? Commissioner. I'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 this universe be governed on a state by state basis.
Now that started in 2019. With NIL-related legislation, progress to twenty twenty one 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. The 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? Um 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 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.
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 and a perfect example is what's happening in your conference. I mean, the video that I was showing the day that Lane Kiffen 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.
$3 million exchanging hands between members' 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 Sabin 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.
So it's not about one circumstance. And keep in mind, we had a set of coaches 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 timeframe where you could promote coaches' stability, seems to me that's something we can actually control first rather than every individual contractual relationship.
Well, I guess, again, I keep extrapolating out 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. Posting again, I know this isn't your conference, but USC football on earlier this week, 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? There are contracts with players. In fact, there's at least one legal action that's been announced about nonfulfillment 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 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? People will advocate, well, collective bargaining is a solution, except that. Nobody's external rights in professional sports are governed.
within a collectively bargained agreement.
So 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.
So, what does solve every problem in your estimation? Because there's scheduling issues as well. And, you know, 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 What's interesting there is The move of the portal.
So remember, Rich, not so many years ago, all the complaints about the restrictive nature of transfer rules. I've actually had our staff go back and grab the quotes for everybody and said, hey, this change to the transfer opportunities in football and basketball, it's going to be great. And 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 what's better is, okay, 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.
So 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.
Now 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. The NBA gets to negotiate around basketball and basketball only, Major League Baseball, around baseball and baseball only.
We have roughly twenty one 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, and we'll deal with these others under some old model. That's one of the many reasons that 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. How's that?
I'd 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, right? And again, that's where 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 onto something there? Commissioner.
So 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. I 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 NCA 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 I.
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. We don't take, and you can pick randomly universities. That began with the same Um Letters as my university.
So, you know, you can take McNeese 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 NCA 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 Azar.
And then they'll call me and say, you should be in charge of this whole thing. Yes. I have enough gray hair Um and I have less hair than I used to yeah with sixteen. Can you imagine that? And now you 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. But 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.
I don't think, though, that walking into big rooms filled with people is the way for us to solve the really big problems in front of us. You're going to have to narrow that conversation. All right. In the couple minutes I have left, Commissioner, what is your feeling of the college football playoffs? Is 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 as an answer, this is my opinion. I think that the move to 12 is 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. And 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 sixteen 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-rank conference champions that are in this thing right now because they displace.
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. Um as a group in the college football playoff.
management committee, that remains to be seen.
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 network special. I don't want to cause any trouble for either of us. Yes, 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. And 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 Isensho. There he goes.
So um Okay. Who knew 20 minutes was not long enough to solve college athletics issues? Dang it. But the number of times, like, I'm in, here, let's all get in a room. Let's figure it out.
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 going to 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 on Capitol Hill who would be really pissed about that. How do you answer that? And then this funds all the other programs. How do you answer that?
Damn it. 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 re show the receipts to me?
To Susie, obviously. That's right. The CEO of the team I. Very good. Very, very good.
Yes, he'll be like, why didn't I get a coffee? How come Greg Sankey gets a coffee? All right. Kurt Warner in our number two. Same thing with Todd McShea.
Oh, baby, we're just getting started on this Wednesday. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Hey, Ryan Reynolds here, wishing you a very happy half-off holiday because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50% off unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. Mint is still premium unlimited wireless for a great price.
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