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Chat Reel: Roy Kramer
SEC Commisioner talks Orange Bowl picks
Latest: Wednesday August 16, 2000 04:09 PM
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Roy Kramer says that there is no need for the SEC to expand at this point in time. AP |
SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer chatted with CNNSI.com users on August 16, 2000. A transcript of his chat follows:
CNNSI Host: Thank you for joining our chat with SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer. Welcome Commissioner Kramer!
Roy Kramer: Thank you.
From David Hudnall in Dallas, Texas: Do you ever see the SEC expanding into Texas? The Dallas market would support SEC football since there is no Big 12 team here. SMU would be an excellent candidate with their location, heritage, new stadium and renewed commitment to have a big-time program.
Roy Kramer: I don't see in the immediate future any type of expansion. We have twelve teams, and expansion deals with the marketplace. We've already negotiated contracts for eight to ten years, and there's no pressure to expand. Our athletic directors understand finances extremely well, and it’s easier to divide by 12 than 14. I don't see that on the immediate horizon. Do I see some conference adjustments in the future? Yes. But I don't think it will affect the SEC.
From Matt: Roy, with the SEC so strong top to bottom, does it seem as though conferences like the ACC or Big East have a much easier route to the BCS game? What can be done about the discrepancy?
Roy Kramer: There's not a lot you can do about that, if it's a discrepancy. Without question, our conference is the strongest it's been from top to bottom, in my more than 20 years. There will always be conferences that aren't as deep. That's the luck of the draw. Not much you can do about that.
From Mike Rose in Pinckney, Mich.: Hi Roy, are there any plans to change the venue for the SEC men's basketball tournament on a regular basis or will it pretty much be in Atlanta from now on? For the fans, I think you should try and have it in different cities as much as possible. I know this year it's in Nashville, and I will be there.
Roy Kramer: It is Nashville this year, and it will be in Atlanta the next two years. The following year it goes to New Orleans to the Superdome. That's as far as we've announced at this point.
From JP in Birmingham, Ala.: I know we lost a few close games in the bowl season last year, How do you think the SEC will stack up this year against the other conferences? Who do you think will stand out in the SEC this year with the possibility of playing in the Orange Bowl?
Roy Kramer: We did lose about three bowl games last year, all of them fairly close, which is unusual for us. I think we'll be better across the board. As far as the Orange Bowl is concerned, we would certainly want to put Alabama, Georgia, probably Tennessee and Florida, and legitimately Ole Miss. One of the great things is I think we have five or six teams that could challenge for the championship.
From steve_rankings: I would like to know Mr. Kramer's opinion of the role of football within universities. Example: Nick Saban's $1.2M salary at a school (LSU).
Roy Kramer: Football plays an enormous role, and enormous factor in alumni coming together, gives us a sense of belonging to the campus community. Are there times it's not in perspective? Probably. But this country is market-driven, and athletics, like everything else, is part of the market. So, we shouldn't be surprised when there are those kinds of financial arrangements for coaches in the marketplace.
From NYCVol: Roy, what do you make of all of the allegations at Tennessee? Is the NCAA still investigating?
Roy Kramer: The majority of these allegations deal with the academic operations of the institutions. Those have been strongly addressed by the administration of the university. President Gilley has taken steps to address those concerns, and I believe the university will be healthier as a result. I am not in a position to comment on the NCAA investigation.
From Robert Keith in Atlanta, Ga.: What can be done to improve the quality of officiating during the annual Georgia vs. Georgia Tech game (which currently uses officials from both leagues - whom have botched the last two games with bad calls)?
Roy Kramer: We've had some calls, officials are human. Overall, I think our officiating is excellent, not just in that series, but throughout the conference. That does not mean there will not be an occasional mistake, and when that happens, the conference office will address the situation, as it did last year.
From Jason Carter in Pontotoc, Miss.: Why is Mississippi State still allowed to ring Cowbells at home/road SEC games when this is a clear violation of the "Artificial Noise Maker" clause in the SEC rules of play?
Roy Kramer: You can't confiscate everything everyone brings into a stadium. They have a security system to collect cowbells at the gate, but that doesn't prevent someone from carrying them under their clothes and taking it into the stadium. We've had some cowbells, but I think overall the problem is probably blown out of perspective by a lot of fans. I understand their concerns, and certainly will continue to address that issue.
From NYCVol: I understand that the ISL playoff proposal is dead. Are there any other college playoff proposals that you may consider?
Roy Kramer: Probably not, for the next six years. The BCS has just renewed its television agreement with ABC, and so I see no real changes in the foreseeable future.
CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with Commissioner Kramer. Thank you for joining us!
Roy Kramer: Thank you.
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