ARLINGTON, Texas — SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey attended Arkansas' 20-10 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday and said he’s happy for how the Razorbacks are playing under Coach Sam Pittman after enduring a 1-23 SEC stretch from 2017-19.
Pittman is 7-7 at Arkansas after Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek had to fire Chad Morris, who was 4-18 overall and 0-14 in SEC games as the Razorbacks’ coach.
“I’m happy for Sam the progress that he’s led,” Sankey said. “Hunter had to come in and change the narrative, and now the talk is about how the culture’s changed, which is great to see.”
Sankey attended his second Arkansas game this season along with the Razorbacks’ 40-21 victory over Texas in Fayetteville on Sept. 11.
Students stormed the field after the game and Arkansas was fined $100,000, in accordance with SEC rules, for its second offense.
SEC schools agreed fans storming the field would result in a fine because of the safety issue it posed for the opposing team.
Arkansas first was fined $25,000 in 2014 after the Razorbacks beat LSU 17-0 to end a 17-game SEC losing streak.
“That was quite a scene in Fayetteville two weeks ago,” Sankey said. “It’s great to see the excitement and energy back around the program again.
“But [fines for storming the field] are just a reality. As a conference we agreed to that, so we still have to do it even when people are in a celebratory mood.”
Sankey said that if Arkansas fans storm the field a third time, it will result in a $250,000 fine.
SEC associate commissioner Herb Vincent, a North Little native and Catholic High School graduate, also attended Saturday’s game.