MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – SEC Media Days are officially underway in Tampa.
The four-day event began Monday with an opening press conference by Commissioner Greg Sankey, who addressed a number of popular talking points surrounding the league.
Among them were the historic expansion of the conference football schedule to nine league games and the Protect College Sports Act, which has seen significant pushback recently from notable SEC schools like Auburn and Alabama.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey
SEC Media Days on Monday, July 20 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
Todd Van Emst/SEC(Todd Van Emst/SEC | Todd Van Emst/SEC)
Monday’s event featured appearances by Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
The event is Alex Golesh’s first major outing as Auburn’s new head coach. Golesh spent two seasons at Tennessee as their offensive coordinator before taking over the helm at South Florida as head coach.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel.
SEC Media Days on Monday, July 20 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
Todd Van Emst/SEC(Todd Van Emst/SEC | Todd Van Emst/SEC)
For Golesh, the event also brought him face to face with a former colleague in Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel. Golesh served as Heupel’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coordinator at both the University of Central Florida in 2020 and Tennessee from 2021 to 2022. Now, the two are SEC foes.
Despite the new rivalry, Heupel spoke highly of Golesh in his new role.
“He understands the recruiting,” Heupel said. ”The landscape inside of it. Extremely proud of Alex, their staff, that transitioned from USF.”
The Tigers will travel to Knoxville for the first time since 2018 on October 3, where the two head coaches will meet on opposite sides of the field.
As SEC Media Days get into full swing, Auburn, Georgia, Vanderbilt and South Carolina are set to take the stage on day two.
Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!
Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.