The architect of modern American college football, former Southeastern Conference (SEC) commissioner Roy Kramer, has died at the age of 96. The conference confirmed he passed away on Thursday in Vonore, Tennessee.
The Visionary Commissioner Who Reshaped a Sport
Roy Kramer served as the SEC's commissioner from 1990 through 2002, a period of unprecedented growth and innovation. His most immediate and lasting impact was the creation of the SEC Championship Game. He divided the then-12-team league into divisions, pitting the winners against each other in a high-stakes, winner-take-all showdown in Atlanta.
This revolutionary format proved so successful that it was eventually adopted by all the other major conferences, fundamentally altering the landscape of the sport's postseason.
Creating a Definitive National Champion
Kramer's influence extended far beyond the SEC. Leveraging the power of the conference, he spearheaded the development of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). This system, active from 1998 to 2013, was the first to definitively crown a single national champion in the top tier of college football.
It moved away from the subjective polls of media and coaches, instead using a complex formula involving computer rankings to select the top two teams. These teams would then meet in a national title game hosted by one of the four major bowls: the Rose, Sugar, Orange, or Fiesta Bowl.
While the BCS was later replaced by the College Football Playoff due to controversies over its computerised selections, it established the crucial principle of a unified national championship game.
A Legacy of Growth and Belief in Student-Athletes
Kramer's tenure was marked by phenomenal financial growth. In his final year, the SEC distributed $95.7 million to its member schools, a staggering increase from the $16.3 million shared in 1990. The conference's revenue for the 2023-24 fiscal year stood at $808.4 million, a testament to the commercial powerhouse he helped build.
Current SEC commissioner Greg Sankey paid tribute, stating: 'Roy Kramer will be remembered for his resolve through challenging times, his willingness to innovate in an industry driven by tradition, and his unwavering belief in the value of student-athletes and education.'
Before leading the SEC, Kramer was head coach at Central Michigan University and served as athletic director at Vanderbilt University from 1978 until 1990. His career was summarised by former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese in 2002: 'By any standard, Roy's influence has been mind-boggling.'
Though he shied away from claiming a personal legacy, Roy Kramer's foundational changes to conference structure and the national championship process ensure his impact on college football will resonate for generations.
