League cancels spring meetings scheduled for Destin in May

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey announced Tuesday the 2020 SEC Spring Meetings have been canceled due to issues related to the spread of the coronavirus.

The SEC will determine alternate methods for holding meetings important to conference operations and present awards, which is done during the last week of May in Destin, Florida.

“The SEC Spring Meetings represent one of our conference’s great traditions and provide an opportunity to celebrate the past year, plan for the future and focus on our mission to serve people through our universities,” said Sankey in a press release. “We regret this year’s event will not be held as planned, but we know cancellation is appropriate in the light of supporting safety and well-being during this unprecedented public health crisis.”

The SEC Spring Meetings serve to bring together university presidents and chancellors, athletics directors, student-athletes, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives, communications directors, and head coaches in the sports of football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball.

The meetings are designed to help shape the rules, regulations and overall strategy for the conference.

“We are currently exploring ways to conduct as many of the planned meetings in an alternate format and time,” Sankey said.

The SEC Spring Meetings have been held in Destin annually since 1985 and previously were held in various locations and in different formats.

Information from the Southeastern Conference is included in this story.