Former Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive, who led the league to unprecedented success both on and off the field and managed its growth from a regional conference to national giant during his 13-year tenure, died on Wednesday after a lengthy illness.
Slive, 77, announced he was beginning treatment for a recurrence of prostate cancer shortly before he retired as SEC commissioner in July 2015. He said he'd been first diagnosed with the disease in the late 1990s. He had been working as a consultant to the SEC since his retirement.