Greg Sankey's 2nd 'State of the SEC' Speech Shows He's Right for the Job

HOOVER, Ala. — Greg Sankey stepped to the microphone to officially open SEC media days, with the eyes of the college football world watching.

He showed everyone a leader.

Sankey's first "state of the SEC" speech at media days last July served as more of an introduction of the newly minted commissioner than it did as a platform for change. 

His sequel on the biggest offseason stage of the offseason accomplished the latter, solidifying him as the right man to lead the SEC into the murky future of college athletics.

Sankey's theme centered on a new catchphrase the SEC is rolling out for the 2016 season: "It just means more."

"I want SEC teams to win every possible championship, and I expect us to be victorious the absolutely right way," Sankey said. "All of us who call the SEC home, our administrators, our coaches, our fans, our players. We're all contributing to something that lasts, something that matters. Can't be measured on a scoreboard. It can be measured through people's lives, through service trips to foreign lands and families who live better because of a college education, and in one changed life after another."

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It was clear during Sankey's 30-minute stump speech and subsequent 10-minute sessions in smaller rooms that the phrase comes with multiple meanings. 

From a publicity standpoint, it accomplishes the obvious. The SEC—home of eight of the last 10 college football national championships—has risen to become the unquestioned top conference in the sport due in large part to the resources that are being dedicated to it.

According to the USA Today coaching salary database, 11 of the top 20 highest-paid head coaches in the country were in the SEC in 2015. Six of the nine million-dollar assistants coached on SEC staffs last year. Multimillion dollar training facilities—some that come complete with waterfalls—have risen out of the ground around the South over the last 10 years like the humidity rising on a hot July day.

It's a marketing ploy but an effective one. That's job No. 1 for somebody who's essentially the CEO of a major business.

The slogan also means more from a fan perspective.

Where else do fans flock in droves to stand in a hotel lobby for eight hours while hoping to get a small glimpse of their favorite head coach or player as he rides down an escalator?

That happens at SEC media days ever year. 

For Sankey, "it just means more" also means more responsibility for players within the conference.

Sexual assault and interpersonal violence have dominated offseason headlines in the sport, including the sexual assault scandal that led to the dismissal of Baylor head coach Art Briles, the recently settled lawsuit regarding a hostile sexual environment at Tennessee and Mississippi State's decision to allow former 5-star defensive tackle signee Jeffery Simmons to enroll after video surfaced of him punching a woman while breaking up a fight.

"I think if you heard the activities, the last month reminds us that we even need to be more attentive and with the settlement that was announced and some of the commentary about changes at the University of Tennessee, there's a communication opportunity there to help educate on those changes," Sankey said.

"You saw a program that LSU introduced last week [requiring players and coaches to take sexual harassment classes]. University of Kentucky, two, three years ago went through an exhaustive search across campus survey process to understand and educate how they proceed. But I would caution that we not assume that people don't do the right things most, if not all of the time."

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The slogan means more for the players to set a positive example and give hope to a community, like Georgia running back Nick Chubb does with every carry to Chubbtown, Georgia.

It means more for the coaches to set and provide that example, like Hugh Freeze of Ole Miss does when he sets up and sometimes attends his team's spring break trip to Haiti. 

It means more if the conference takes positive steps toward improving player behavior, as it has done the last two offseasons, passing and subsequently expanding transfer restrictions preventing college athletes with a history of interpersonal violence from gaining entrance to any of the 14 member institutions.

"The last few months remind every one of us in college athletics that we are entrusted with the public, with leadership for what is at its heart an educational endeavor that's important in our culture," Sankey said. "It spills out on to the fields of competition. And it does, like many areas of life, present us ethical challenges and opportunities."

Sankey proved on Monday when he opened SEC media days that he gets it.

He gets that the SEC's power and influence should be used to effect positive change while also recognizing that the reflection in the mirror is far from perfect.

Sankey has held the job of commissioner for the last 13 months.

On Wednesday, he became what his predecessor, Mike Slive, was for a decade.

The most powerful man in college athletics.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.