Question and answer with SEC commissioner Mike Slive

Late last week, Slive took time to answer questions on some of the issues he has faced and will face in the upcoming academic year.

Q: As you head into your fourth year as commissioner, what do you see as this league’s greatest challenge?

A: Our goal remains to have no institution on NCAA probation by (football) media day in 2008. Among the conferences nationally, we are in a premier position. This past year, we won seven national championships, had two women’s basketball teams in the Final Four and had an undefeated football team. We don’t want to do anything to make it easier for our competitors in other conferences. That means not stepping on our own toes. It makes no sense to do anything that keeps us from having all of our motors running. If we don’t harm ourselves, then nothing can stop us from maintaining and moving ahead in the premier position we’re in.

Q: Has the SEC’s image improved, or do you feel it is still lacking in some areas?

A: To the extent that some off-the-field issues have hurt our image, I feel we’ve made positive progress in dealing with those things.

Q: The SEC has intensified efforts concerning sportsmanship and crowd safety. Will the league follow the lead of the NBA and have such policies as ejecting unruly fans and taking away their season-ticket privileges?

A: What’s in place in our sportsmanship legislation is that our individual institutions have the obligation to develop their own policies, maybe using the resources such as non-ticket renewals for violators. As a league, our policy is to make sure fans stay off playing surfaces before, during and after games.

Q: Do you think the revised BCS formula will alleviate all potential problems in matching the two best teams in the national championship game?

A: The formula wasn’t revised, but the Associated Press poll was replaced with the Harris interactive poll that uses a mix of media and other experts to give us a good poll that is one-third of our formula. We’ve got a lot of people with experience in college football on this poll, and I’m pleased with the way we’ve gone about it.

Q: Step by step, do you feel college football is any closer than it was a few years ago to getting a playoff?

A: The presidents have made it really clear to us that they are not interested in a playoff. In the foreseeable future, I don’t see it happening. Given the current BCS format, it’s an issue that we’re sensitive to in the SEC, since we had an undefeated Auburn team last year that didn’t get the opportunity to play for the national championship.

Q: You were once an attorney who represented schools charged with NCAA violations. As commissioner, do you approach the issue differently when an SEC school is the target of an NCAA investigation?

A: One of things we accomplished a year ago was creating a road map for our institutions to report any possible violations. It has worked well for us. In the conference office, we don’t investigate cases. We ask institutions that, if allegations arise, they deal with it with forthright honesty and integrity. Once that is done, I can serve in a role as a person who can provide counsel and guidance, to work with institutions to deal with these matters and get them behind them.

Q: How many times a year is an SEC athlete drug tested? And do those tests include steroids?

A: It’s up to each institution whether it wants to drug test. We’re in the process of seeing what everyone in the league is doing and bringing them all to the table as we move ahead.

Q: Has the league ever thought about hiring its own compliance officers to go from campus to campus unannounced, and observe to see if schools are complying with rules?

A: No, that’s not what the conference office is about. We trust our presidents, coaches and athletic directors to deal with matters in a positive way. Last year, members of our office went to every SEC campus and spoke to every athletic department employee, more than 2,500 people, about dealing with issues. We set the tone, but we’re not going to be looking over people’s shoulders.

Q: Coaches are already complaining that the new academic progress rate hurts them when they want to kick a player off the team, which counts against a program’s APR. Will that be adjusted?

A: The positive of APR is all of us are thinking academics and athletics in the same breath. There are some nuances and some adjustments to be made. There will be some exceptions, but I don’t know if that (dismissing a player) will be one of them.

Q: The SEC is considered one of the power conferences, in terms of prestige and finances. How do you keep from getting too comfortable, not getting into a rut where the league just runs itself?

A: When you deal with 12 institutions, with 12 athletic departments and 12 sets of fans, then there are a lot of variables in this complex athletic/educational matrix. So there isn’t a moment that you ever think you’re in a routine. We have to continue to make sure our athletes have a chance to compete at the highest level and graduate. The satisfying thing is three years ago, the presidents and athletic directors in this league looked in the mirror, faced the challenges, talked about how to deal with them and have dealt and continue to deal with them.

Q: How much will it cost the league annually for instant replay in football, and do you feel it’s worth that investment?

A: We haven’t been able to put a price tag on it, but it’s worth the investment to the extent it helps improve officiating. The games are so important to all of us. Getting instant replay has been a major endeavor, but we wanted to make sure we got the best possible technology.

Q: What’s the one thing about the SEC in which you think the general public has a preconceived notion?

A: I think some people might be surprised that in a league as competitive as ours, with such intense rivalries, that there is a loyalty and commitment from each school toward the conference. And that goes for our fans. I’ve been to a lot of our bowl games where an SEC team is about to win and you hear fans chanting ‘SEC, SEC, SEC.’ I don’t think you hear that at a lot of other places.