SEC Establishes Mandatory Player Availability Reports

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) will implement mandatory player availability reports for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball starting in the 2024 season, aiming to enhance transparency and protect student-athletes amid growing legalized gambling. Each football team must submit their reports three days prior to games, with final updates 90 minutes before kickoff, while basketball and baseball teams will report the night before games. The policy follows similar mandates established by the Big Ten and Mid-American conferences. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey emphasized the need to reduce outside pressures for participation information and maintain competition integrity. However, some coaches, like Florida's Billy Napier, express skepticism about achieving complete transparency, suggesting potential gamesmanship remains. Violations of the reporting policy can incur fines ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 for football, and $15,000 to $25,000 for basketball and baseball.