Roy Kramer has passed away at 96.

[December05]

Roy Kramer, former Commissioner of SEC, passes away at 96 - Southeastern Conference

Roy Kramer, who served as the sixth commissioner of the Southeastern Conference as well as athletics director at Vanderbilt University, passed away Thursday at the age of 96.

www.secsports.com

In case anyone wants to take up money for flowers…

In all seriousness, a large figure in the history of the SEC. I actually already thought he’d passed. Condolences to his family.

 

[WoodyInPelham]

Can’t think of anything good to say about him, so I’ll just be quiet.

 

[FF4bama]

Here's a $20, bury two

 

[CrimsonTheory]

At least he went peacefully.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I thought of him the other day, when someone mentioned the byes before games with us and remembered the year when everyone had a bye before us and Saban got mad enough to put an end to it by driving to his office and confronting RK. I also thought he must have quietly passed...

 

[CrimsonJazz]

It is with a Hurculean effort I will drop a simple RIP and walk away.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

I thought of him the other day, when someone mentioned the byes before games with us and remembered the year when everyone had a bye before us and Saban got mad enough to put an end to it by driving to his office and confronting RK. I also thought he must have quietly passed...

Did Saban actually do that?

 

[BamaNation]

And don't forget that Kramer was largely responsible for the admin at UA not being informed about what was purportedly going on in Memphis that got us "looking down the barrel of a shotgun."

 

[BamaFossil]

He lived long enough to watch Alabama win SIX national championships! Perhaps there is some meager poetic justice in that.

 

[arthurdawg]

And don't forget that Kramer was largely responsible for the admin at UA not being informed about what was purportedly going on in Memphis that got us "looking down the barrel of a shotgun."

My understanding is that he warned every other team off... But us. On purpose.

I'll not speak ill of the dead, but I won't praise someone who targeted us.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

He lived long enough to watch Alabama win SIX national championships! Perhaps there is some meager poetic justice in that.

That and watching his beloved UT struggle perpetually against Bama...

 

[December05]

He lived long enough to watch Alabama win SIX national championships! Perhaps there is some meager poetic justice in that.

Hope he wasn’t too given into senility to enjoy each and every one of them.

 

[Tidewater]

My Grandma taught me that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

God let him live long enough to get Hell hot enough.

Yeah, l said it.

 

[CB4]

I thought of him the other day, when someone mentioned the byes before games with us and remembered the year when everyone had a bye before us and Saban got mad enough to put an end to it by driving to his office and confronting RK. I also thought he must have quietly passed...

Earle, I believe that was when Mike Slive was commissioner. Kramer retired prior to CNS’s tenure at Alabama.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Earle, I believe that was when Mike Slive was commissioner. Kramer retired prior to CNS’s tenure at Alabama.

At that time, the schedules had been made out years in advance. Kramer was responsible for that schedule...

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I know Kramer gets a lot of credit for the creation of the SEC championship game, but I’ve never been the kind person to give somebody credit for something so obvious.

Remember, the expansion of the SEC occurred because the SEC was caught flat-footed by:
1) Notre Dame’s NBC contract
2) Penn St joining the Big 10

And then remember that his shopping list included Miami, Florida State, Texas, and the Aggies….and he settled for Arkansas and South Carolina to get to 12 so there could be a game. Consider where all of those programs were in the fall of 1990 and you realize that this is a guy who wasn’t nearly as shrewd at the negotiating table, as we’re being led to believe.

Don’t get me wrong, he deserves credit for pulling off the moves, but they were moves ANY competent executive would have made.

It also ran the risk of eliminating SEC teams from national championship title hunts, as nearly happened when the very first game was tied at 21 with less than four minutes to go in 1992. It was great money for the conference, but it was terrible for then lucrative bowl monies afterward if you didn’t get the desired result.

And him and his buddy Fulmer were the Tony Soprano and Johnny Sack of the SEC when we got pinched.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

I know Kramer gets a lot of credit for the creation of the SEC championship game, but I’ve never been the kind person to give somebody credit for something so obvious.

Remember, the expansion of the SEC occurred because the SEC was caught flat-footed by:
1) Notre Dame’s NBC contract
2) Penn St joining the Big 10

And then remember that his shopping list included Miami, Florida State, Texas, and the Aggies….and he settled for Arkansas and South Carolina to get to 12 so there could be a game. Consider where all of those programs were in the fall of 1990 and you realize that this is a guy who wasn’t nearly as shrewd at the negotiating table, as we’re being led to believe.

Don’t get me wrong, he deserves credit for pulling off the moves, but they were moves ANY competent executive would have made.

It also ran the risk of eliminating SEC teams from national championship title hunts, as nearly happened when the very first game was tied at 21 with less than four minutes to go in 1992. It was great money for the conference, but it was terrible for then lucrative bowl monies afterward if you didn’t get the desired result.

And him and his buddy Fulmer were the Tony Soprano and Johnny Sack of the SEC when we got pinched.

I actually remember the article in the Birmingham News about the possibility of sexat and 8&4 joining and how big a deal it would be.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I actually remember the article in the Birmingham News about the possibility of sexat and 8&4 joining and how big a deal it would be.

On top of that, it was his predecessor, Harvey Schiller, who had his eyes on the prize.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/2021/08/16/texas-longhorns-football-join-sec-expansion-southwest-conference-harvey-schiller/5515187001/

 

[DzynKingRTR]

On top of that, it was his predecessor, Harvey Schiller, who had his eyes on the prize.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/2021/08/16/texas-longhorns-football-join-sec-expansion-southwest-conference-harvey-schiller/5515187001/

Yeah. 16 was apparently the goal. miami. fsu, sexat, 8&4, arkie, and USCe was the goal. It was basically the equivalent of asking out 4 models, a Wal-Mart cashier and a waffle house waitress. The 4 models said no.