"I'm focused on growth to 16": SEC expansion predicted by Commissioner Greg Sankey

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey was asked during the SEC Media Days on Monday about the conference expanding past 16 teams. He said the conference was finished expanding without actually saying so.

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"We are a superconference," Sankey said. "I'm focused on growth to 16 (teams). It's not been a topic for the Southeastern Conference. Do I think it's done? People say I get to decide that. We know who we are. We're comfortable who we are."

This makes a lot of sense when looking at the conference from a logical standpoint. The more programs added to the SEC, the more the current media rights deal has to be divided up. Greg Sankey knows universities are not going to want to lose any more money than they had to by adding Oklahoma and Texas in 2024.

This is an interesting debate as the conference can dive in and only play in conference games with the way their schedule is made. With the elimination of divisions within the conference, there are 15 distinct opponents for each SEC team to play. However, that has not been brought up as of yet.

Is Greg Sankey right about the SEC being a superconference?

The definition of a superconference is a little more subjective, so there is some debate about Greg Sankey's assertion that the SEC is a superconference.

Superconferences are conferences with a lot of members that are grouped together in hopes of a larger television or media rights deal. If you were to look at the SEC in its full iteration beginning in 2024, you can definitely make the argument that they are a superconference.

The SEC was already full of great college football teams with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers. In terms of competition, the SEC is definitely a superconference. They have won five of the previous seven national championships as well as being the only conference with at least one College Football Playoff team every season since its inception.

Now, adding the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns makes it even more legitimate, and Greg Sankey understands that. Expanding past 16 teams might be overkill and to the point where the original members are not going to be happy. It is not like ESPN is going to pay them more on their current deal for adding teams, so having more at the beginning of their media rights deal seems unlikely.

Should the SEC ever expand past 16 teams?

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