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NCAA shouldn't take Kirby Smart's SEC stance seriously ... yet
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NCAA shouldn't take Kirby Smart's SEC stance seriously ... yet

By Clark Dalton  |  Last updated Jul 21, 2026 11:15 PM ET
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SEC leaders and coaches continue warning the NCAA that they're seriously considering breaking away from the governing body. Is that a legit threat, or are they bluffing? 

At the first round of SEC Media Days on Monday, commissioner Greg Sankey indicated the conference may split from the NCAA over concerns about the Protect College Sports Act (currently being negotiated in the Senate), College Football Playoff expansion and other issues in college sports. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart backed him on Tuesday. 

Kirby Smart talks potential SEC split 

"I've actually been saying that for a long time to our president and our administrators," Smart told ESPN's "Get Up." "I've learned that until we get governance and we have someone that actually has the power to make decisions, or we can make decisions within our own community, we're not going to have much control." 

This marks the second time Smart has advocated for the SEC going its own way this offseason. During the SEC spring meetings in May, the coach said he'd "be all for" the conference separating from the NCAA if it was financially feasible.

Now that Sankey and Smart have spoken out against the NCAA, that could round up even more support for the SEC to break away in an earth-shattering move. Will the conference actually do it? 

Why the SEC will remain in the NCAA ... for now 

In a June mailbag, The Athletic's Seth Emerson shared that SEC separation talks are gaining momentum, but there isn't a "consensus" within the league. Although some administrators aren't happy with the state of college athletics, opinions on how to fix the landscape vary drastically. Some prefer tweaks, while others want wholesale changes. 

And many of these schools couldn't stomach missing out on paydays from the CFP or other NCAA Tournaments. Teams that make the 12-team CFP bracket earn $4M for their respective conference (via Forbes contributor Kristi Dosh).

The CFP may be expanding soon. The Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are reportedly warming to the idea of a 24-team bracket. A firm date for a vote has not yet been set, but a decision could be made later in 2026. 

The SEC is the lone holdout among the Power Four conferences. It wants a 16-team bracket to preserve its conference championship game and to avoid byes for the top teams in the CFP. Smart complained that this cost his Bulldogs national titles over the past two seasons. Georgia received first-round byes in the last two CFPs but were one-and-done both times. 

"I would love to see the flow of the season go like ... week to week, maybe a bye week in there, but a continuous thing," Smart said, per theScore's Dane Belbeck. "No sport that I know of shuts down 25 to 30 days between performances." 

The SEC dislikes these potential changes, but until it has a concrete plan for a potential split from the NCAA, it may just have to deal with them. The conference could be threatening a dissent to get other leagues to cave and give it what it wants. The other conferences, however, should stand firm; the SEC is unprepared to make this seismic move that would shake the foundation of college sports. 

Clark Dalton
X Muck Rack

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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