Mike Slive retires: Commissioner turned SEC into CFB's biggest force

Published Oct. 14, 2014 4:00 p.m. ET

Stewart Mandel

Those under a certain age might not believe it now, but at the time Mike Slive became its commissioner in 2002, the SEC was not yet the “S-E-C, S-E-C.” If anything, it was closer to the old SWC, which crumbled in the early ‘90s following too many NCAA investigations and too much dysfunction. Slive’s initial goal wasn’t to win seven straight BCS championships or create a TV network but rather to get all its schools off probation within five years.

On Tuesday, the SEC announced Slive, 74, will retire in July, due in part to beginning treatment for a recurrence of prostate cancer. His prognosis is good.

The league Slive inherited had a couple of reigning football powers in Florida and Tennessee but was still largely viewed as a regional brand lacking the national prestige of the Big Ten, Notre Dame and then-dominant Florida State and Miami. The league he leaves behind has become the unquestioned on-field gold standard and a coveted television property that boasts its own ESPN-backed network.

“Commissioner [Roy] Kramer had done a nice job, we had won some national championships. I think everyone thought the SEC, if not the best league, was definitely in the argument,” Mississippi State AD Scott Stricklin told FOX Sports on Tuesday. “What’s happened under Mike’s tenure is there’s no longer a question. He took it to a level I don’t know anyone thought was possible.”

It’s hard to imagine a league transforming its image more dramatically in a short time than the SEC did under Slive. His counterpart Jim Delany has certainly wielded as much or more influence in broadening the Big Ten during his 25-year tenure, but while that conference is prosperous financially its on-field product has declined. The SEC has seen four different programs -- LSU, Florida, Alabama and Auburn -- win national titles over the past decade and two more -- Mississippi State and Ole Miss -- are currently ranked in the AP top three.

Certainly, the coaches and players have a more direct role in that prowess, but one need only look at the recent realignment volatility to see just how much politics play a role in a league’s success. The Big 12 lost some of its best programs due to unchecked in-fighting. The Big East, which placed teams in three of the first five BCS championship games, no longer exists.

The SEC has its own internal headaches what with the sometimes disparate interests of coaches, athletic directors and presidents, but it’s gained only more stability due to the unofficial diplomat role that Slive, a self-described “recovering lawyer,” plays to perfection.

“He did a phenomenal job of helping us work together,” said Stricklin. “No matter what room he’s in, he’s always the smartest guy in the room. We’re fortunate he chose college athletics as a career because he could have been successful in anything. He’s just a great leader.”

Slive’s consensus-building skills have afforded him influence beyond just the SEC. He was in fact the first power-conference commissioner to publicly push for what would eventually become the College Football Playoff, using his pulpit as BCS coordinator in 2006-07 to initiate the first serious dialogue among his colleagues about a potential four-team playoff. Once talks finally got serious in 2012, his was arguably the most important voice in the room.

Similarly, the first seeds of what would eventually become Power 5 autonomy began with Slive’s annually anticipated State of the SEC address at preseason media days. He famously spent months preparing and fine-tuning those remarks knowing full well the weight they’d carry nationally.

And while Slive was not the first to launch a successful conference network – credit Delany – he may have forever altered the dynamic between leagues and their television partners. ESPN, which ostensibly covers the entire sport, is now simultaneously serving as a powerful promotional vehicle for one particular conference. Coupled with CBS’ exclusive and unique relationship with the league, no conference currently enjoys more exposure than the SEC.

All of which will make for a coveted but unenviable challenge for whoever succeeds him next year.

The SEC announced it will begin a national search this fall for Slive’s replacement, but those in the industry will be shocked if the job does not ultimately go to one of Slive’s current lieutenants, COO Greg Sankey or executive associate commissioner Mark Womack. Sankey in particular is a widely respected figure across college athletics – he testified on behalf of the NCAA in last summer’s Ed O’Bannon trial – is the odds-on favorite.

The good news is, that new commissioner will inherit quite the established foundation. The bad news is, much like a new coach trying to follow a Hall of Famer, that person will take the blame if for some blasphemous reason the SEC’s football dominance begins to diminish even slightly.

“There were a lot of people wondering how in the world we were going to replace Roy Kramer, and we found Mike Slive,” said Stricklin. “There’s someone out there with the skill, ability and intellect to further build on what Mike has done for us.”

Whoever it is will be hard-pressed to match Slive’s legacy.

Stewart Mandel is a senior college sports columnist for FOXSports.com. He covered college football and basketball for 15 years at Sports Illustrated. His new book, “The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the College Football Playoff,” is now available on Amazon. You can follow him on Twitter @slmandel. Send emails and Mailbag questions to Stewart.Mandel@fox.com.