It’s that time of year. Roughly 1,000 media members from around the country will descend on Tampa for four days of nonstop interviews, overanalysis and trying to pry something out of coaches and players beyond the usual coach-speak.
The 96 hour marathon is a grind for everyone, but it’s also the unofficial official kickoff to the football season. So, what will we actually learn in Tampa? Here’s a few predictions.
Greg Sankey will make a firm stance on CFP expansion and hint at needing a commissioner.
Sankey’s opening monologue on Monday morning may be the most telling of the entire week. Sankey usually spends the opening portion of his remarks highlighting the SEC’s accomplishments from the previous year. I don’t expect him to stray from that. But, I do think there will be some other topics he dives into in a much more non-passive way. Namely, I expect him to be pretty firm about the SEC’s stance on playoff expansion and how they have no plans on going past 16.
I also expect Sankey to be much more vocal this year about the need for stronger governance. Critics scrutinize nearly every statement Sankey makes, which makes that a difficult position for any commissioner to embrace. Still, it’s more obvious than ever that it’s needed, and despite his heroics during the 2020 season, Sankey can’t do much more on his own.
Lane Kiffin will be on his best behavior.
There’s a pretty common misconception when it comes to Lane Kiffin. His track record of viral moments on social media and the sidelines have long been a part of his brand. And, while that won’t disappear anytime soon, what has become far more common in his interviews is that he’s much more docile and less headline grabbing with his words initially.
Now, that isn’t always the case and this offseason has certainly proven so. But, since the infamous Vanity Fair article incident he’s stayed out of the spotlight. Anyone expecting that to change and for Kiffin to leave Tampa in hot water is almost certainly going to be disappointed.
We get some bad news about Ahmad Hardy.
It feels a little ominous that Missouri isn’t bringing Hardy, but it feels even more odd that they’re bringing another running back to Tampa.
Jamal Roberts isn’t just a backup. He finished last season with over 750 yards and over six yards per carry. He ran for over 100 yards in three different games in 2025, and if Hardy is unable to be full go in week one, then he is a more than suitable substitute.
It could be nothing, and I, like everyone else, hopes that’s what it is. Drinkwitz may simply want to shield Hardy from a barrage of questions about his recovery after the gunshot wound.It could also be Drinkwitz doing what he does best and playing games and/or trolling the media.
Either way, it feels like not bringing Hardy would’ve been a nothing burger. But, bringing his backup made me dust off the tinfoil hat and read way too much into it.
