HOOVER, Ala. --With the frequency of domestic violence stories around sports and college football in general, some of the focus of SEC Media Days has been on the possible creation of a league-wide policy addressing the issue and how to punish a conviction.

Auburn’s Gus Malzahn was the first coach to address the media on the first day of the event and faced a number of questions about the issue.

“We do our homework,” Malzahn said.“Matter of fact, we do our homework thoroughly on everybody we recruit. I've said before as far as domestic violence is something that we don't touch. But we do our homework on everyone we bring in the program. There's a lot of information out there these days, which makes it -- makes it better. But, you know, that's just our approach.

Mississippi State freshman Jeffery Simmons was somewhat recently suspended for just one game after a video of a physical altercation between he and woman led to charges of “disturbing the peace while fighting.” A former five-star lineman, Simmons will sit out the Bulldogs opener. The situation almost certainly contributed to the line of questioning in Hoover.

The prevalent conversation included SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, who was asked a similar question that extended to the different sexual assault issues that have recently cropped up in the league at Tennessee and outside the conference at Baylor.

“I do look and observe that individual's act, and it is difficult to sometimes predict the actions of individuals,” Sankey said. “Part of our basis for the transfer policy is when there are certain behaviors that may indicate a potential for future behavior, certainly around interpersonal violence. That's a stopping point here.”

“We have talked as a conference about expectations, reality, around how legal expectations play out. And we'll continue to do that. I don't -- I think if you heard the activities the last month remind us that we even need to be more attentive and with the settlement that was announced and some of the commentary about changes at the University of Tennessee, there's a communication opportunity there to help educate on those changes.”