Sankey has hated LSU since the Hurricane Matthew debacle

In 2016 (Sankey's first full year as Commissioner), Cat 5 Hurricane Matthew had Gainesville in the crosshairs for a game day landfall. Florida’s team was beat up with several starters not expected to play because of injury. Florida AD seized the moment and continued to say the game would go on when everyone knew that could never happen. There was plenty of time to move the game to a neutral site or LSU. LSU kept offering options. Florida kept insisting it could go forward.

It was abundantly clear Florida, who had title aspirations, was trying to postpone the game to get their players healthy. Sankey sat idly by and did nothing. Finally, Florida said “it doesn’t look like the game can go forward” but by that time it was too late for any alternatives. Sankey then poured salt in the wound by publicly thanking Florida but not LSU for their efforts.

quote:

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"And I give great credit to (Florida athletic director) Jeremy Foley, great credit for when we reached an impasse, for stepping forward in, I think the best interest of the conference, showing willingness to make an adjustment to this year's schedule and to flip next year's game. I give credit to the University of Florida for stepping forward to do that. We were coming to a place where we had to take a very different approach. I don't think it would have been healthy."

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