Greg Sankey sends message to Dabo Swinney after tampering allegations

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey had a message for Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney and others at SEC media days on Wednesday in Tampa.

Sankey was asked about Swinney having publicly called out Ole Miss Rebels coach Pete Golding and general manager Austin Thomas for alleged tampering in the transfer portal with regard to former California linebacker Luke Ferrelli earlier this year.

"We all live in a glass house," Sankey told a Mississippi sports talk radio host when asked for his thoughts on where things stood with the NCAA since Swinney accused Ole Miss of tampering.

Sankey added:

"I respect that frustrations boil over from time to time, but the environment we're in -- representatives, NIL representatives, agents making phone calls -- we're in a very different environment, which puts us in the glass house, and so we all ought to be careful about throwing stones, including me."

The SEC sheriff may not have given carte blanche to one of his member institutions over the detailed allegations Swinney made, but it sure didn't sound like much of a reprimand, either.

In fact, later in the segment, Sankey said that some of the responsibility should fall on players and not just coaches.

In January, the Rebels lured Ferrelli to Ole Miss even after the former Golden Bears player had committed to the Tigers in the transfer portal. According to Swinney, Ferrelli had already begun attending classes at Clemson, was in team meetings and had secured housing and an automobile.

"The young person involved has a responsibility," Sankey said. "I think that's what's lost, that someone who says, 'yeah, go represent me, stir up a bunch of business in November.' Somebody is authorizing that. And there has to be accountability there, too.

"It shouldn't just all be on an institution. I don't think we're there yet, which is a bit frustrating," Sankey added. "Conceptually, we all ought to exercise a little bit of care before we point fingers."

While Sankey admitted that tampering was taking place in college sports, the SEC boss stopped short of calling for stronger penalties. He even mentioned what could be perceived as a "slap on the wrist" for first-time offenders.

"Fundamentally, we don't want coaches calling kids at a different school and saying, 'jump in the portal,' or setting up deals with representatives so you go in the portal at 6 p.m. on a Friday and at 8 a.m., you've got a new place and a scholarship," Sankey said. "That means tampering is taking place. Those things should be defined.

"When issues occur, I don't think stronger penalties are the answer right away," he added. "I think more oversight and accountability (is needed). And it may be a lesser penalty. It may just be a warning. It may be what's perceived as a slap on the wrist, but do something in an orderly fashion and a timely fashion. Then, if it happens again involving the same individuals, that penalty should be elevated."

At ACC Kickoff last week, Swinney called out the NCAA for lack of enforcement regarding tampering and other issues.

"I don't think any of us thought we'd be in a world where there's no order,” Swinney said. "It's a much bigger conversation now. Even in the NFL, there are rules.”

"The only thing worse than having no rules is having rules you can't or don't enforce,” Swinney added.

Clemson opens the 2026 season against another SEC school, the LSU Tigers, on Sept. 5 in Baton Rouge. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ABC.

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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Greg Sankey sends message to Dabo Swinney after tampering allegations