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Roy Kramer, Visionary Former SEC Commissioner and BCS Architect, Dies at 96

His expansion of the SEC, including the first conference title game, paved the path to the BCS era.

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FILE - Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer talks with reporters during the opening session of the Southeastern Conference football media days in Birmingham, Ala., on Tuesday, July 25, 2000. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)
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Overview

  • The SEC announced Friday that Roy Kramer died Thursday at age 96.
  • As commissioner from 1990 to 2002, he added Arkansas and South Carolina to reach 12 teams and launched the first Division I-A conference championship game in 1992.
  • He helped create the Bowl Alliance and then the Bowl Championship Series, leading the BCS committee starting in 1995.
  • He negotiated major television packages with CBS and ESPN that boosted the SEC’s profile and revenues for years to come.
  • Before his administrative career, he coached Central Michigan to an 83-32-2 record with the 1974 Division II national title and later served 12 years as Vanderbilt’s athletic director.