Roy Kramer, former SEC commissioner, BCS creator, Vanderbilt AD, dies at 96
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Former SEC commissioner and Vanderbilt athletics director Roy Kramer died on Dec. 4. He was 96.
The Maryville, Tennessee, native was the sixth commissioner of the SEC, a position he served in from 1990-2002. Under Kramer's leadership, the conference expanded from 10 to 12 schools with the addition of South Carolina and Arkansas. He also created the first conference championship game in NCAA Division I history in 1992.
"Roy Kramer will be remembered for his resolve through challenging times, his willingness to innovate in an industry driven by tradition, and his unwavering belief in the value of student-athletes and education," SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a release. "His legacy is not merely in championships or commissioner’s decisions, but in a lifetime devoted to lifting student-athletes and believing in the power of sport to shape the lives of young people.
"Though he stepped away from formal roles years ago, the foundations he built, on campuses within the SEC and across college sports, will resonate for generations to come."
In 1997, Kramer was the pioneer of a group of commissioners that developed the Bowl Championship Series, a selection system used for 16 years to determine two teams who play the national championship. He also engineered new television packages with ESPN and CBS.
Kramer graduated from Maryville College, where he was a standout lineman on the football team and a wrestler. As a freshman, Kramer played in the inaugural Tangerine Bowl, now the Citrus Bowl, on Jan. 1, 1947.
Kramer began his career in athletics coaching high school football in Michigan, achieving an undefeated record with three teams in three years. In 1967, he started his college career as the head coach at Central Michigan. Over 11 seasons, he amassed an 83-32-2 record, winning the NCAA Division II national championship in 1974.
In 1978, Kramer returned to Tennessee to become the athletics director at Vanderbilt. During his 12-year tenure, construction began on Vanderbilt Stadium and new football facilities.
The SEC's men's and women's athlete of the year awards are in his honor.
Kramer was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023, and he's also a member of the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Central Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame.
He lived on Tellico Lake in Loudon, Tennessee, until his death.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately made public.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Roy Kramer dies, SEC commissioner was BCS founder, Vanderbilt AD
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