SEC commissioner calls out ESPN over schedule leak

July 15, 2019; Birmingham, AL, USA; SEC commissioner Greg Sankey speaks to the media during SEC Media Days at the Hyatt Regency-Birmingham. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is not thrilled with the league’s broadcast partner for leaking some elements of the league’s 2024 schedule.

ESPN reported some key dates of next year’s schedule earlier in the week, including the scheduled date for the Alabama-Georgia game. The network announced that it would release the full schedule as part of a reveal show on Dec. 13.

Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” Friday, Sankey made it quite clear that he was not pleased that ESPN leaked portions of the schedule before the planned reveal.

Greg Sankey, on Pat McAfee Show, displeased that the SEC’s own TV partner, ESPN, reported a portion of the 2024 schedule this week – two weeks before the network & league had agreed to unveil the schedules.

"We were trying to protect it. Someone at ESPN apparently leaked it."

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 1, 2023

“We were trying to protect it. Someone at ESPN apparently leaked it,” Sankey said.

This is a fairly inauspicious start for the ESPN-SEC partnership that was solidified in the new round of media negotiations, with the league’s marquee games moving to the ESPN family of networks going forward. A lot of money was involved in the move, so Sankey may well have a firm word with the network behind-the-scenes.