Southeastern conference commissioner Greg Sankey weighed in on the Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher feud that erupted earlier this month after the Alabama coach accused Fisher’s Texas A&M of buying its players.
“What we have to do is turn the page,” Sankey told OutKick on Sunday. “Because we have to think about what we see as the future, rather than the frustration that exists around the pace of change that’s happening. And really that’s at the heart of a lot of issues.”
The war of words began when Saban said his former assistant’s school “bought every player on their team” through name, image and likeness deals. The A&M head coach furiously fired back at Saban, calling the Crimson Tide’s head coach a narcissist and urged reporters to “dig into his past.”
“Some people think they’re God,” Fisher said. “Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out about a guy, a lot of things you don’t want to know. We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past.”
Saban later apologized for his comments, and Fisher revealed that his former mentor reached out to him but he did not answer, adding that “we’re done.” Several figures from the college football world inserted their opinions on the matter, and the SEC issued public reprimands for both coaches.
As NIL deals sweep through college sports, Sankey is more worried about the well-being of NCAA athletes rather than the feud between two of the biggest names in college football.
“What are the solutions? What is the structure that can be helpful to support young people competing in college sports? That’s the conversation,” Sankey said. “Not what happens between two people. We have to elevate our dialogue.”
