DALLAS – SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey took time during his opening remarks at the start of media days in Texas to discuss the magnitude of college football, especially during this time of upheaval and divisive politics around the country.
After the unfortunate events of this past weekend, with the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, you could tell that Sankey was expressing that college football can be, and is, an outlet for so many people in this country.
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Donald Trump claps prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship game between the Clemson Tigers and the LSU Tigers at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Speaking with media members on Monday morning, Sankey discussed the “stress and divisiveness” currently engulfing the country, and how college sports is an avenue that brings people together, no matter their party affiliation.
“This past Saturday evening, we were reminded of the stress and divisiveness that’s present in our nation, well beyond any playing field,” Sankey noted. “We know that elections are fundamental in these United States of America, and none of us are expected to all agree on how votes should be cast.
“In fact, probably most of us try to avoid those conversations at family gatherings. We’d rather talk about the weather, talk about how the kids or grandkids are doing in school, where somebody is going on vacation, or maybe who’s going to win the game on the upcoming Saturday.”
College Sports Has The Ability To Unite The Country
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey speaks during SEC Football Media Days at Omni Dallas Hotel on July 15, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
There was certainly one moment in his discussion about how sports have the capacity to bring folks together, and the moments on the field when fans from both schools are unified to celebrate the athletic event they are attending.
He’s right, college athletics has the ability to bring folks together, and there’s nothing like attending a football game where both fanbases are enjoying the festivities surrounding the event.
So, when Greg Sankey mentioned that we needed more of these unifying moments in our country, I think most folks would agree with his sentiment.
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“On Saturdays in this country, for decade after decade, people come together,” Greg Snakey mentioned. “We actually need more of what we do in college sports. In college sports, and in college football in particular, we know there’s an opponent on the field and spread across a stadium there’s apparel from the opposing teams, one dominant, one in the minority, but in those stadiums, I’ve stood with sometimes 100,000 or more to sing the National Anthem, sometimes thinking that the entire stadium is actually participating.
“I’ve joined in those stadiums as you watch maybe a Chinook helicopter fly over or a B-2 bomber or an F-22, just amazed. Then celebrated a little bit later in the game when during the break we stop and we bring the flight crew onto the field and celebrate them for their service.”
Greg Sankey Preaches Unity From Within The Sports Community
When it comes to sports bringing folks together for one event, even if that game is pitting two rivals against each other, there’s an argument to be made that nothing unites the country more than sports.
So, when Greg Sankey mentioned that we need more of these moments in our country, I’d imagine most of you reading this would agree.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey talks with senior associate athletic director for internal operations Matt Trantham before the game between the Missouri Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on November 24, 2023 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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“We actually need more of those unifying moments in this country, and that’s why I say, again, we need more of what college football does in this nation, not less. We need more of what college sports does because that unity I talked about and those variances that exist within a crowd aren’t just in a football stadium. You see them at baseball games and basketball games and along all of those sports that I cited just a moment ago.”