SEC’s Mike Slive talks future of NCAA
by George Schroeder, USA TODAY Sports
MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. — He knows the baristas by name — “Carla says ‘hi,’ ” he says — but it’s unclear whether Carla or anyone else in the coffee shop recognizes the silver-haired regular in the blue sweater vest.
Mike Slive has already occupied this table along a wall for several hours, holding it down with a grande coffee. And if a Starbucks in a tony suburb seems an odd place to find the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, consider that it’s the second meeting he has taken here this morning, and that the self-described “early riser” routinely conducts league business here. He’ll meet with staff members as early as 6:30 a.m.
“Sometimes I just go to the office,” Slive says. “But sometimes I like to come here. I know it’s a Starbucks, but it’s sort of a local coffee shop. It allows me to sit here and talk and not be distracted. I love the morning.”
Over coffee, Slive spoke with USA TODAY Sports on several topics earlier this week. With a few handwritten notes on a yellow legal pad, a smartphone and a briefcase in the chair beside him, one of college football’s most powerful players held court on the unsettled state of college sports:
Q: What’s your take on the recent events in the Big East? Is there further realignment coming?
A: Really, just following it. We read what you read and we read what you write. And maybe to go back a little bit, because this is probably where you’re going, we were very comfortable at 12 (member schools). We were successful. We weren’t looking to expand. And then Texas A&M came to us and subsequently Missouri, and at that point our folks evaluated the institutions. We were obviously looking to the future, and decided to take them.
We’re pleased to have 14 (members). Scheduling is not easy and we’re integrating that into our planning. But I think we’re at the same place at 14 that we were at 12. So needless to say, we’re aware, we watch what’s going on around us with interest. At this point in time that’s all … [For more on SEC's Mike Slive talks expansion, future of NCAA, click here.]
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