Mike Slive and me first met in 1995, when he was appointed the new commissioner for Conference USA, a college sports league. I introduced myself as a Mississippi sports columnist and he smiled, “I’m Mike Slive, and I’m a recovering lawyer.” Slive is a native of New York and a Dartmouth graduate. Before entering the sports world, he was a New Hampshire district judge and a lawyer. He became the greatest power broker in college sports history. He was 77 years old when he died. Slive, who left Conference USA in 2002 for the Southeastern Conference, has died at 77. It is not an exaggeration that the two leagues are different. CUSA has been at best a shambles. The SEC has been the most successful college sport league ever under Slive’s smart, meticulously planned leadership. Larry Templeton (ex-Mississippi State athletic director, and one of Slive’s top lieutenants at SEC), said that “you hear it all the time about someone being the right person at a right time.” “Mike Slive was definitely the right person for the SEC. It was amazing to see his leadership, how successful he was, and how he got all that success. Templeton observed from the inside. When Slive assumed control of the SEC in 2002, Templeton was the chairman of the SEC Athletic Directors. He would continue this position until his resignation at State in 2008. At the time Templeton left State, the SEC had been renegotiating TV contracts with CBS and ESPN. Slive immediately appointed Templeton to assist with these negotiations. Templeton is still serving as special consultant to Greg Sankey (Slive’s successor). Templeton’s relationship over time with Slive transcended sports, TV negotiations, and the SEC. Templeton stated Thursday morning that Slive became a part of my family, and he became a part of mine. “Hardly has there been a day in the past 15 years when we haven’t spoken, often first thing every morning. It was usually about family more than sports. Templeton, Slive, and their families fought and beat cancer together. Together, they learned how to be grandparents. They did much more than that. Templeton stated that Mike always claimed he was born a Yankee, but was determined for his entire life to be a southerner. “I took it upon myself to teach him how a redneck Southerner.” The SEC’s revenue grew exponentially. In 2002, Slive was elected SEC commissioner. The TV/bowls pay per school was $8.4million. In 2017-18, the payout per school was $40.5 million. This is a 500% increase in payouts over 16 years. A lot of this can be attributed to the SEC Network which was Slive’s idea. Templeton sees it another way. He stated that his entire athletic budget during my last year as State’s athletic director was $38.7million. “This year, State received more than that in one check by the SEC.” What is the key to Slive’s success? People skills. Templeton stated that Mike was “the most remarkable person I’ve ever seen in understanding the person he was dealing with.” He could be gentle when necessary. When the situation required it, he could be quite tough. He was smart but could also be dumb when needed. He was a master at dealing with people, and they played right into his hands. It was truly amazing to see.” Another important aspect of Slive’s remarkable people skills is his wit. He was last seen two weeks ago. It was a phone call from my pocket. It was also a face-to-face call. Although I said I didn’t mean to call him, we had a pleasant conversation during which he stated that “At this stage in our lives, it is time for us both to do voice calls.” Ignore the face-time.” This was a well-taken point. Slive spoke with Templeton on Tuesday morning. Templeton’s phone rang at 5 a.m. He was aware that Slive was being treated in Birmingham for congestive heart disease. “Why are you calling me? Templeton said, “I know you’re in ICU.” Slive replied: “The nurses won’t allow me to have coffee so I made a deal with them and settled for just one phone call.” You’re it, pal.”