Greg Sankey named SEC commissioner

Birmingham, AL (SportsNetwork.com) – Greg Sankey was named Thursday as the new commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.

Sankey will assume one of the most powerful posts in college athletics after serving as executive associate commissioner and chief operating officer for the SEC since 2012.

He will take over for longtime commissioner Mike Slive, who announced Oct. 14 that he will retire in July after leading the conference since 2002. Slive said he was beginning to receive treatment for a recurrence of prostate cancer.

Sankey is in his 13th year on the SEC staff and also serves on several NCAA committees, including as the chairman of the Committee on Infractions.

“The institutions of the Southeastern Conference searched for a commissioner who would carry forward the momentum of success enjoyed by the SEC over the last decade while also possessing a vision for change in the modern era of college athletics,” Vanderbilt chancellor Nick Zeppos said in a statement.

“Greg Sankey’s experience with our institutions, his respect on the national landscape, his understanding of the balance of athletics and academics, and his passion for the welfare of student-athletes make him the perfect leader for the SEC.”

Prior to joining the SEC staff, Sankey was commissioner of the Southland Conference for nearly seven years after being named to the post in 1996.

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