Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive speaks during SEC media days on Monday, July 14, 2014, in Hoover, Ala.When Mike Slive became Southeastern Conference commissioner in the summer of 2002, Mark Richt had coached Georgia’s football team for one season and Nick Saban had coached two seasons at LSU. The league had 12 members and had just distributed $95.7 million to its institutions.
Slive addressed SEC media days this week for a 13th time and now heads a league that has 14 members and distributed $309.6 million. He was a guest on “Press Row” on Chattanooga’s ESPN 105.1 The Zone.
Q: You had a chance to retire after an even dozen years, but there is a little too much out there right now, isn’t there?
A: “You’re exactly right. I can’t believe that it’s been 12, and I’ll never forget walking into the room for my first media days with Roy Kramer. There were a lot of people, but nothing like what we experience now.
“We do have a lot on our plates. The SEC Network is right around the corner, and we’re dealing with very serious issues on the national scene. There is certainly enough to keep me busy.”