Mike Slive, 77; former SEC commissioner

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – Mike Slive, the former Southeastern Conference commissioner who guided the league to unprecedented success and prosperity, died Wednesday. He was 77.

The Southeastern Conference said Slive died in Birmingham, where he lived with his wife of 49 years, Liz. The conference didn’t provide the cause of death.

Slive retired in 2015 after 13 years as commissioner. He was battling prostate cancer at the time he stepped down.

Slive replaced Roy Kramer as SEC commissioner in 2002, coming from Conference USA to help clean up an SEC that was beset by NCAA compliance issues.