BREAKING: Missouri isn’t changing SEC divisions

Each June, it’s an annual tradition for someone with Auburn ties to complain about wanting to switch divisions with Missouri.

Each July, it’s an annual tradition for SEC commish Greg Sankey to shoot those rumors down.

Sankey didn’t just pump the brakes on any such discussion. He drove the pedal through the floorboard.

“Has not been an agenda item in the meeting,” Sankey said. “It is a conversation in most large press conferences in which I appear, and that's the extent of the conversation.”

Even if it were a legitimate agenda item ... the schedule’s been drawn up for the next nine seasons.

So that’s that, huh? Until next June, anyway?

You can watch all of Sankey’s comments here. Among other topics, Sankey talked about wanting to “reengage” the league’s misconduct policy.

While the SEC added the expectation of "due diligence" into reviewing a prospective transfer's background in 2016, the conference did not have a proposal to expand the policy brought forth during last month's Spring Meetings.

"It's time for us to reengage the working group to look at these issues," Sankey said in his opening remarks at SEC Media Days on Monday. "I'll work with the chair of our presidents to do that, and that will take some time. I think our policy has worked the well. Our institutions are in communication, but it's never too soon to continue to be attentive to these issues."

He also talked about a permanent 14-week season. (Depending on how the Saturdays fall, there are sometimes 14 natural Saturdays in a schedule that begins with Labor Day and ends the first weekend in December, and sometimes there are only 13.)

Sankey said the SEC still could expand to a 14-week regular season, keeping 12 games and adding a second bye week. But he doesn’t want to start preseason camp earlier, so the first game potentially could be played one week earlier than the current schedule to make room for the extra bye week.

“There is not opposition here to a 14-week season. There is curiosity and interest,” Sankey said. “… But I want to be very careful about not moving football practice even earlier into the summer.”

More Links:

• IT’S “WATCH LISTS ARE STUPID, BUT THEY’RE LESS STUPID WHEN MIZZOU’S INVOLVED” SEASON! Hello, Maxwell Award (Damarea Crockett) and Bednarik Award (Marcell Frazier).
• You have at least one reason to watch the (first inning or so of the) MLB All-Star Game tonight: Max Scherzer.
• Total bill for the Yolanda Kumar academic misconduct investigation so far: $137K.
• LOCK THE DOORS, MIZZOU ARENA.
• This was fun. The AdvoCare Invitational twitter account gave a “shout out” to ... new Missouri State head coach Cuonzo Martin.