“Commissioner Slive was truly one of the great leaders college athletics has ever seen and an even better person. He was a wonderful friend to me and someone who I respected tremendously. Mike changed the landscape of the Southeastern Conference and helped build our league into what you see today. He was instrumental in growing college football and in the creation of the College Football Playoff. The professionalism he displayed throughout his career was second to none. He was an advocate for all of our Universities and placed the upmost importance on the well-being of student-athletes. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in this difficult time.”
