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Greg Sankey didn’t pull any punches when talking on last year’s College Football Playoff field. The SEC commissioner took a vicious jab at Florida State for what’s transpired since its postseason omission.
The not-so-subtle shot came as reports of the conference’s lack of interest in the Seminoles surfaced online.
Sankey has spent the last few days in Dallas, welcoming his league’s coaches and players to conference media days. While the focus has been on the SEC, that ACC program has been brought into the conversation a few times throughout the event.
The Seminoles find themselves in quite the predicament this offseason as they fight a legal battle against the ACC. Peeved about revenue and perception, FSU is looking for a way out.
One expected landing spot was thought to be the SEC given its geography and status as college football’s top league. That door now seems to have closed.
Greg Sankey addressed the conference’s view of Florida State, saying that he’s not looking to add a new school at the moment.
“I certainly don’t spend any time engaged in recruiting activity, because we’re focused on our 16.”
The next time he referenced the program, he wouldn’t be as kind.
Greg Sankey ripped Florida State on Wednesday.
The final straw in the Seminoles’ push to leave the ACC was the team’s omission from the College Football Playoff. Feeling as if they’d been cheated out of both a national title opportunity and massive financial gain, they chose to bolt.
Sankey spoke on that reaction with a thinly veiled jab.
SEC commish Greg Sankey on @1010XL: “Georgia was one of the best four teams (in the nation) and didn’t get in (the Playoff). But you didn’t see us jumping up and down and complaining and hanging national championship banners.”
A not-so-subtle shot at FSU.
-Matt Hayes / X: @MattHayesCFB
The commissioner referenced Georgia, who many believed to be one, if not the most talented team in the nation. After winning back-to-back titles in ’21 and ’22, they were left out of the playoff field due to a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship.
It was the Bulldogs’ only setback of the year.
The Alabama team that beat UGA leapfrogged both the ‘Dawgs and undefeated ‘Noles to snag the fourth and final playoff seed. Sankey says the reaction from that pair was very different.
Both received the consolation prize of an Orange Bowl invite, a head-to-head matchup the Bulldogs would win 63-3.
First, Greg Sankey shut Florida State out the league. Next, he added insult to injury!