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#1 2018-05-16 19:45:39 - Mike Slive, first commissioner of CUSA, has died

admin (289)
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Registered: 2017-08-24
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Mike Slive, first commissioner of CUSA, has died

He was 77. Didn't realize he was that old.

Once thing I noticed just a few days ago was that his Wikipedia page doesn't mention CUSA. He was commissioner of the SEC after his stint with CUSA, and I think he had a pretty big hand in the national championship setup as it stands today.

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#2 2018-05-17 10:30:08 - Mike Slive, first commissioner of CUSA, has died

Nugget's Ghostbuster (1627)
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From: U.S. Department of Interior
Registered: 2017-08-25
Posts: 5,767

Re: Mike Slive, first commissioner of CUSA, has died

680 The Fan had on Tony Barnhart from CBS Sports this morning. He knew Mike Slive better than anyone. He told a good story about attending a college football awards show in NY at the end of the 2004 season. Slive saw Tony and told him to go get a drink and meet him at a table away from the party so they could talk. Tony was surprised that the commissioner wanted to have a one on one discussion with him. They sat at a table away from the party and Slive told him basically from this day forward, we can never have an undefeated SEC team denied a chance to play for the national championship again. That year, Auburn went 13-0 but was ranked #3 in the final polls and didnt get to play for a title.
Slive was a lawyer by trade before getting into sports and ultimately CUSA. What he was doing with Tony was "winning the jury" with the media individually to make sure his conference has everyones respect, even more than any other conference.
Slive was a great start for CUSA. It has never been the same since he left. He essentially doubled the tv revenue from 20 million to 40 million in one year once he launched the SEC Network. He definitely left his legacy on college football.

RIP


"There was a great deal of character on that field today. They are for real, no doubt about it. This was no fluke." - Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant

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#3 2018-05-17 13:07:21 - Mike Slive, first commissioner of CUSA, has died

Ace Barker (260)
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From: Bougherville SC
Registered: 2017-08-25
Posts: 554
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Re: Mike Slive, first commissioner of CUSA, has died

I thought he was a great commissioner for C-USA. Light years beyond the previous and current commissioners. A number of years ago, Tim Doherty was on the elevator at a conference meeting and asked Commissioner Slive a question about "COOSA". Commissioner Slive replied, "Tim, the conference is named C USA, (Spelling out each letter)." Tim never mentioned "COOSA" around him again. He did his job as the C-USA commissioner as well as the SEC.

Commissioner Slive would never be seen in a plastic kids jeep. Now "oui" really are COOSA.

Ace...

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#4 2018-05-18 07:07:29 - Mike Slive, first commissioner of CUSA, has died

EagleFWB (176)
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Registered: 2017-12-05
Posts: 427

Re: Mike Slive, first commissioner of CUSA, has died

Yeah, pretty much been a downward spiral since he left CUSA

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