SEC commissioner Greg Sankey began SEC Media Days last summer by noting that times are changing in college football. If only he knew what would be in store over the next 12 months.

Since those comments, conference realignment has kicked into high gear. NIL has become a hot-button issue and generated plenty of controversy within the conference. On the field, two SEC teams once again faced off for the national championship back in January.

Back at the podium on Monday, Sankey once again noted that times are changing. Here's what the top dog in the SEC had to say about the state of the game.

Sankey arrived at the SEC spring meetings in Destin earlier this year ready to address controversy.

Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban had just made headlines with their public feud over NIL. The meetings in Destin attracted eyes from across the nation.

When Sankey met with the coaches, he had a simple message.

"Here is what I told our coaches. It is never going to be the same, but it doesn't have to be the way that it is," Sankey said. "We're dealing with complex problems that won't be solved by complaints, by accusations, by finger pointing, or by offering simple solutions. What is needed now is collaboration, deep thinking about real world solutions, and everyone participating in the conversation."

Sankey said that mindset led to the some of the best participation and conversations at the spring meetings that he's seen in his time as commissioner. In his view, that teamwork has the SEC in a strong place in the ever-changing world of college football.

"There's no sense of urgency in our league, no panic and reaction to others' decisions," Sankey said. "We know who we are. We are confident in our collective strength, and we are uniquely positioned to continue to provide remarkable experiences, educationally and athletically, along with world-class support to student-athletes."

Sankey had just arrived at his lake house on July 30 when he got the news. USC and UCLA were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 10.

That sent Sankey and his staff scrambling to separate fact from fiction and outline the next steps. He updated the conference's thought process during his press conference Monday.

"We're attentive, we're engaged in conversation," Sankey said. "The great news for the Southeastern Conference is that people call and say, 'Hey, you're doing something really special.' They kind of hint around the edges. We know who we are. We're confident in our success. We're really looking forward to the expansion and being at 16 teams. Don't feel pressured to just operate at a number. But we'll watch what happens around us and be thoughtful but be nimble."

At this point, Sankey said he still anticipates Oklahoma and Texas joining the league in 2025. But the league is already looking at possibilities for future scheduling models.

Eight and nine-game options are still on the table. They were discussed in Destin, but no firm conclusions were reached. Bowl eligibility and the impact on the College Football Playoff are just two of the issues that need to be sorted out.

"The list of issues, tiebreakers one, the number of games and what that means from a scheduling standpoint, the imbalance around nine games versus the comfort with eight games," Sankey said. "What happens with non-conference schedules? We have a requirement that that ninth game right now be among an autonomy five-type opponent. How do we dispose of or maintain that particular policy?"

Sankey made it clear on Monday that he wants changes in the governance system for college football.

"We have a governance process that has key committees and councils populated by participants who rarely, if ever, speak and who are being asked to make important national policy decisions when they may not have that same authority on their day-to-day work context on campus," Sankey said. "We have a bureaucratic process that leaves issues languishing for months or for years. Again, it's correct, we can't go on as we are."

For one, that covers the issues of name, image, and likeness. Sankey noted that differing state laws are not an effective way to manage NIL. He instead wants a national standard, or at least similar state laws throughout the SEC footprint.

But there are positives to NIL, Sankey noted. He mentioned Bulldog receiver Kearis Jackson's deal with Bojangles as one shining example.

Ultimately, Sankey said, it comes down to needing uniformity to provide the best opportunities for the most student-athletes.

"I'm convinced, regulated or unregulated, we can do well," Sankey said. "I think the unregulated markets creates a set of problems for the people involved, whether it's young people and their families trying to make decisions, the potential for long-term life entanglements in deals that are not understood and evaluated, the lack of support, the taxation that comes. We've also allowed it to enter into the recruiting space in a really weird way, and I think that needs to be made healthier than it is now."