Former SEC Commissioner Mike Slive passes away at 77

He retired as commissioner in 2015.

Former SEC Commissioner Mike Slive has passed away at the age of 77 on Thursday.

Slive, who retired as the conference’s commissioner in July 2015, battled prostate cancer in the late 1990s, announced that he was going to undergo treatment for a recurrence of the cancer with his retirement. In 2017, his friend Ed Meyerson named the Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research after him.

Slive was one of the most influential SEC commissioners in the conference’s modern history, and was a prominent figure in making the conference’s SEC Network a reality in 2014. Here are some of his most notable accomplishments, courtesy of the SEC’s website:

Named to the post on July 2, 2002, the SEC has enjoyed unprecedented championship success under Slive’s leadership. He led the adoption of a new and effective league-wide NCAA compliance initiative, engineered landmark television contracts including the launch of a conference network, and guided the conference through expansion, welcoming two new institutions.

The hallmark of this golden age of the SEC remains a remarkable seven consecutive Bowl Championship Series national titles in football. In all, the SEC has won 75 national championships in 17 of its 21 sponsored sports during Slive’s tenure as SEC Commissioner.

He was also instrumental in pushing for the College Football Playoff, expanding the conference to include Missouri and Texas A&M, and increased the conference’s revenue throughout his tenure.

There were various from figures around the league on Wednesday:

Rest In Peace, Commissioner Slive.