Michael Slive | |
|---|---|
 Slive in 2008 | |
| Born | (1940-07-26)July 26, 1940 Utica, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 16, 2018(2018-05-16) (aged 77) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Education | B.A.,Dartmouth College, 1962 J.D.,Virginia, 1965 LL.M.,Georgetown, 1966 |
| Occupation | Commissioner |
| Years active | 2002–2015 |
| Employer | Southeastern Conference |
Michael Lawrence Slive (July 26, 1940 – May 16, 2018) was an American attorney and college sports executive. Slive was thecommissioner of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC), a college athletics association, from 2002 until 2015.[1]
Slive was born on July 26, 1940 inUtica, New York.[2] His father Sol Slive owned a meat market and hoped for Mike to become a doctor. Slive was the quarterback ofUtica Free Academy's high school football team, and became the first person in his family to attend college,[3] when he enrolled inDartmouth College as apremed and played college football. However, he soon switched from football to lacrosse, and from medicine to law. While at Dartmouth, he was president ofAlpha Theta fraternity.[4] He worked as a unionized meat cutter to pay for his tuition.[2]
He graduated from Dartmouth College with aBachelor of Arts degree in 1962. He earned aJ.D. from theUniversity of Virginia School of Law in 1965 and anLL.M. from theGeorgetown University Law Center in 1966.[5]
Slive began his career in 1969 as assistant director of athletics at Dartmouth College. Slive became the seventh commissioner of the SEC on July 1, 2002. He was the first commissioner ofConference USA from 1995 to 2002, and the first commissioner of theGreat Midwest Conference upon its founding in 1991.[6]
Early in his life, he practiced law inNew Hampshire, serving as judge of theHanover District Court from 1972 to 1977, and was a partner in a Chicago law firm. He was assistant director of athletics atDartmouth College, assistant executive director of thePacific-10 Conference, and director of athletics atCornell University from 1981 to 1983.[7] In 1990, he became senior partner and founder of the Mike Slive-Mike Glazier Sports Group, a legal practice specializing in representing colleges and universities in athletics-related matters.[6]
As part of his role as the SEC Commissioner, he served as the coordinator of theBowl Championship Series for the 2006 and 2007 regular seasons.[8] He was a member of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee through September 2009[9] and served as the chairman of the committee for the 2008–09academic year.[10] He retired as commissioner effective July 31, 2015.[11]
He chaired the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee and the National Letter of Intent Steering Committee.[2]
In 2009, Slive was inducted into the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame.[5]
In his later years, Slive was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Before his death, he co-founded the Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research.[12] He died on May 16, 2018, age 77, inBirmingham, Alabama. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Liz, and their daughter, Anna.[13]
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