Georgia President Calls for SEC to Enforce Own Rules on Tampering

Jere Morehead says SEC may need to create and enforce its own regulations if NCAA and new oversight body don't act.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 4:07pm

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University of Georgia president Jere Morehead said the Southeastern Conference should create and enforce its own rules on tampering and other regulations, as he believes the NCAA and the newly created College Sports Commission have not done enough to address these issues. Morehead expressed frustration over the lack of enforcement by these bodies and said several other SEC presidents share his concerns.

Why it matters

This reflects growing frustration among SEC leadership over the perceived lack of action by national regulatory bodies on issues like tampering. If the SEC does decide to create and enforce its own rules, it could set a precedent for other major conferences to follow suit, potentially leading to a more fragmented college sports landscape.

The details

Morehead said the SEC would have the "credibility to call out those things" if it had its own tampering rules, and that he hopes other Power 5 conferences would then follow suit. He acknowledged there is a risk of the SEC going it alone, but said it may be better to have "less chaos" than the current situation where rules are not being enforced.

  • Morehead made these comments on Friday after a meeting of the Georgia Athletics Board.
  • The College Sports Commission was created last June to approve third-party name, image and likeness deals.

The players

Jere Morehead

The president of the University of Georgia and a longtime Southeastern Conference leader.

Dabo Swinney

The head football coach at Clemson University, who has made tampering allegations against SEC member Ole Miss.

Greg Sankey

The commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.

Josh Brooks

The athletic director at the University of Georgia, who was present and nodded in agreement with Morehead's comments.

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What they’re saying

“Have we seen the CSC move against any institution yet? I don't think so. Have we seen the NCAA take any action on tampering? I don't think so.”

— Jere Morehead, University of Georgia President

“I think we're getting to the point that the Southeastern Conference is going to have to create its own set of rules, enforce them against our members, and hope that we can set an example that the other Power 4 conferences would then follow.”

— Jere Morehead, University of Georgia President

What’s next

If enough SEC presidents agree with Morehead's position, they would present the proposal to commissioner Greg Sankey, who Morehead said would likely be able to implement such a plan.

The takeaway

This reflects the growing frustration among SEC leadership over the perceived lack of enforcement by national regulatory bodies on issues like tampering. The SEC may decide to take matters into its own hands by creating and enforcing its own rules, potentially setting an example for other major conferences to follow.