SEC Commissioner Sankey Blames Broadcasters, Not Officials, After Mizzou Loss
The conference head defended the replay crew while criticizing analysts who questioned calls during Mizzou's 34-20 defeat to Texas.
By Emmanuel Faure ·
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey shifted blame for the officiating controversy in Missouri's loss to Texas onto the league's broadcast teams. In an interview on The Paul Finebaum Show on SEC Network on Monday, Sankey defended the on-field officials and the replay crew while criticizing the commentators who analyzed the game. He stated that the critics were incorrect in their assessments.
Sankey expressed strong dissatisfaction with the broadcast staff, particularly those analyzing the game on Saturday. He noted that some of the most critical voices were not former officials. "I am highly disappointed in announcers and their criticism," Sankey said. "And they're wrong. Some of the worst officials in America are those in the announcing booth."
The dispute centers on several calls made during the 34-20 victory for Texas. The SEC replay team reversed two Missouri touchdowns and one reception that would have secured a first down inside the Texas red zone. A pivotal moment occurred in the late third quarter when officials ruled a fumble a 14-yard gain for Texas. Missouri fans believed the play was an incomplete forward pass. That first down set up a 25-yard touchdown for the Longhorns, which tied the game temporarily.
Sankey pointed to specific broadcasts that fueled the narrative of poor officiating. He cited an instance where a commentator on a different SEC game, featuring Oklahoma and Florida, criticized the Mizzou-Texas calls without ever contacting the officials. That broadcast team included Matt Schumacker and Aaron Murray. Sankey argued that such criticism from the booth was unacceptable because the analysts had not sought clarification from the league.
The commissioner also defended the on-field decision not to flag Texas quarterback Arch Manning for intentional grounding just before the fumble play. Sankey acknowledged that the conference makes mistakes and owns them. He promised to improve transparency and access to the replay system to provide a better model for the country. The conference replay center is located in Birmingham, Alabama.
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz chose to keep his comments brief after the game. He explained that he avoided blaming the officials to maintain respect for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and his team. "If I say what I want to say, I'm going to get fined until I don't have any retirement," Drinkwitz said. "And I'm not going to do that."
Sankey concluded that the conference will work to continuously improve its processes. He stated that the SEC will take responsibility for the calls and the heat that follows. The goal is to provide the best in-class model for college football officiating.
