Kirby Smart would have no problem with SEC breaking away: ‘I’m not afraid of that’

The future of college football, and college athletics in general, seems to constantly be up in the air as power brokers from the NCAA, athletic conferences, universities, and even Congress attempt to find a solution that will work for everyone, and by everyone, we mean the top 15-20 college football programs in America.

Georgia Bulldogs head football coach Kirby Smart is very emphatic on that last part, as he believes that if the SEC can’t figure out a way to get everyone on board with how they want things, they should just break off and do their own thing already.

“I’ve said this for a long time to our president, I’ve been a huge advocate that if we can’t find rules that everybody plays by, then we should play on our own,” Smart told reporters, per On3. “I’m not afraid of that. I’m not afraid to break away and say that our conference is strong enough to go out and play.

“If we could actually function financially, it would make our programs more stable. We could support things financially. I’m talking about all the sports and do our own rules – I’d be all for that.”

NEW: Georgia’s Kirby Smart on the SEC breaking away if national rules can’t be agreed upon:

“I’ve said this for a long time to our president, I’ve been a huge advocate that if we can’t find rules that everybody plays by, then we should play on our own. I’m not afraid of that.… pic.twitter.com/wH0QfRmpue

— On3 (@On3) May 26, 2026

College football, specifically, finds itself at a crossroads. The gap between the haves and have-nots keeps expanding. NIL has changed the equation. Transfer rules have essentially created free agency. Enforcement of rules seems as lax as ever. And that’s to say nothing of the ongoing conversations around College Football Playoff expansion and the SEC-Big Ten push-pull that everyone else is caught in the orbit of. Not to mention that whatever Congress and President Trump are attempting to do by intervening doesn’t seem to be helping.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday night that he remains optimistic solutions can be found at the national level, but if not, conversations about “conference-led” efforts will be discussed.

“The fact that we’re talking about our own rules isn’t anything new,” Sankey said. “What you’re hearing is the expression of frustration about the lack of progress, and I’ll go back to March 6. I was in the White House, and I spoke about the need for national standards. We still believe we need national standards. If those can’t be achieved, then we’ll have to look at more conference-led regulation, but that’s the reality we’re facing.”