SEC commissioner Greg Sankey takes stand against Mississippi's state flag

Tyler Horka
Mississippi Clarion Ledger

As the movement to change the state flag of Mississippi has intensified in line with racial unrest in the United States, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey took a stand against the flag Thursday evening. 

Sankey said in a statement that until the Confederate emblem is removed from the upper-left corner of Mississippi's state flag, the conference will consider precluding SEC championship events from being conducted in the Magnolia State. 

Starkville hosted the 2016 SEC Softball Tournament and Oxford hosted the conference's softball tournament in 2011. Starkville hosted the 2012 SEC Men's Tennis Tournament while Oxford hosted it the following year. Conversely, Oxford hosted the 2012 SEC Women's Tennis Tournament while Starkville hosted it a year later. 

"It is past time for change to be made to the flag of the State of Mississippi," Sankey said in the statement. "Our students deserve an opportunity to learn and compete in evironments that are inclusive and welcoming to all." 

Within half an hour, Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen and university president Mark Keenum publicly supported Sankey's stance. Later in the evening, Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach tweeted his support for Keenum's response. 

"At Mississippi State University I embrace the inclusion of all People and open dialogue on all issues. Hail State!" Leach tweeted. 

Cohen said he is disappointed that his student-athletes and coaches could be affected by something beyond their control, but he knows Sankey is coming from a place of equality and hope for the future. 

"Mississippi State University is proud to be among the most diverse universities in the SEC," Cohen said in his statement. "Alongside our university leadership, we aim to continue our support for changing the state flag, which should unite us, not divide us." 

Keenum's statement was much longer. He alluded to the "unintended consequences" that the current national climate might have produced for student-athletes at Mississippi State and Ole Miss. 

"In addition, there may be similar unintended consequences for academic pursuits at our all our state’s public universities and negative economic impacts on the state’s communities as well," Keenum said in a statement. 

Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach tweeted "I support President Keenum. At Mississippi State I embrace the inclusion of all People and open dialogue on all issues. Hail State."

Keenum noted that Mississippi State's Student Association, Robert Holland Faculty Senate and university administration have been in favor of changing Mississippi's state flag since 2015. 

Keenum wrote a letter to Gov. Tate Reeves, Lieutenant Gov. Delbert Hosemann and speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives Philip Gunn reaffirming the school's support for the flag to be changed. 

"The letter said, in part, that our flag should be unifying, not a symbol that divides us," Keenum said. "I emphasized that it is time for a renewed, respectful debate on this issue."

Ole Miss chancellor Glenn Boyce and vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics Keith Carter released a statement shortly after Sankey, too. They said Mississippi's state flag does not represent the core values of the University of Mississippi and noted that the flag has not flown on campus since 2015. 

"Mississippi needs a flag that represents the qualities about our state that unite us, not those that still divide us," the Ole Miss administrators said in their statement. "We support the SEC's position for changing the Mississippi state flag to an image that is more welcoming and inclusive for all people." 

The symbol of the Confederacy has been under fire in recent weeks as protesters have demanded racial equality in streets across the country. Peaceful protests took place in both Starkville and Oxford on June 6 with many Mississippi State and Ole Miss student-athletes and coaches partaking in them. 

The Marine Corps banned the display of the Confederate emblem two weeks ago. The Navy announced a few days later its plan to draw up a similar order. The leaders of both branches of the armed forces cited the divisiveness the emblem has caused. Last week, NASCAR announced a ban on the use of Confederate flags at all of its races and properties. 

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning  voted to relocate a Confederate statue on the campus at Ole Miss on the same day Sankey issued his statement. Three weeks ago, a Rebel football player who transferred to Ole Miss from Temple spoke out against the state flag on Twitter. 

"It's crazy that as an African American student-athlete, I play for a team in a state that STILL has the Confederate flag incorporated into their flag....STILL in 2020!!!" Yeboah said in his tweet.

Contact Tyler Horka at thorka@gannett.com. Follow @tbhorka on Twitter. To read more of Tyler's work, subscribe to the Clarion Ledger today!