Roy F. Kramer, the visionary former commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and a driving force behind some of the most significant innovations in modern college athletics, passed away Dec. 4 at the age of 96. The NFF twice honored Kramer, presenting him the NFF Distinguished American Award in 1998 and inducting him into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame in 2023. Kramer was the head coach at Central Michigan from 1967 to 1977, Director of Athletics at Vanderbilt from 1978–1990, and the Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference from 1990–2002.
 
"Roy Kramer was one of the true giants of our sport," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "His vision, integrity, and steady leadership helped shape college football into what we know today. The game is better because Roy cared so deeply about its values, its people, and its future. All of us in college athletics stand on his shoulders, and we are profoundly grateful for his friendship and his example. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time of loss."
 
"I was honored to serve alongside Roy as a fellow commissioner and to collaborate with him on so many important issues," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "His vision, his toughness, and the thoughtful guidance he offered all of us made him an extraordinary leader and an even better friend. Roy was a wonderful man whose influence on our sport will live on for generations."
 
Kramer's career spanned more than five decades and helped shape the landscape of amateur football and collegiate sports nationwide.  Kramer served as commissioner of the Southeastern Conference from 1990-2002, expanding the conference from 10 to 12 members with the additions of South Carolina and Arkansas, and he created the SEC Football Championship Game, making the SEC the first conference to have a title game. During his time at the SEC, he also led the creation of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), the precursor to today's College Football Playoff system, pitting the two top-ranked teams in the country in a national title game.  He also had an influential hand in negotiating multi-year bowl agreements for conference teams which qualified for post season competition. Kramer was also a key player in the formation of the Bowl Alliance.
 
During his watch, the SEC has experienced an unparalleled growth, and conference teams won 81 national championships. He continuously set records for conference distributions to its member schools, rising to $95.7 million during his final year. His left a legacy, including multi-sport national television packages with CBS and ESPN, featuring football and men's and women's basketball. His presence on the NCAA Basketball Negotiating Committee helped secure a seven- year $1 billion contract with CBS Sports. He has also served two terms on the NCAA Men's Basketball Committee which selects the 64-team field for the NCAA Tournament and administrates all tournament games. Kramer chaired this committee in 1992.
 
Prior to the SEC, Kramer spent 12 productive and impressive years as Vanderbilt University's athletic director. It was the extraordinary job he did at Vanderbilt that led to the top spot as SEC Commissioner. His was a voice that commanded attention in forming league policies and he served as chairman of the league athletic directors' organization. In basketball, Kramer was successful in attracting the first two rounds of the NCAA championships to be played at Vanderbilt in 1982 and 1989. He also played a big role in attracting the SEC championship to be played in Nashville in 1984, the first sold-out tournament in its history. He got that tournament to return in 1991. His accomplishments at Vanderbilt also included the $56 million renovation of the McCugin Center, which houses all of the Commodore athletic programs, and he also was the leading force behind the construction of Vanderbilt Stadium in 1981.

Prior to Vanderbilt, Kramer headed the Central Michigan football program for 11 seasons. He won an impressive 71.8 percent of his games, including the 1974 Division II National Championship. In his 11 seasons leading the Chippewas, Kramer compiled an 83-32-2 (.718) record. In 1974 Kramer was named NCAA National Coach of the Year after guiding the Chippewas to a 12-1 record and the Division II National Championship. In addition to the 1974 national title, Kramer twice led the Chippewas to IIAC titles in 1967 and 1968. He played an integral role in Central Michigan's move in 1975 to Division I-A as a member of the Mid-American Conference. In 2023, his coaching record earned him induction into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame.
 
Kramer had hired Herb Deromedi as an assistant coach in 1967, promoting him to defensive coordinator in 1969. When Kramer left for Vanderbilt in 1977, Deromedi took over from his mentor as the CMU head coach, going on a run that would also land the protégé in the NFF College Football Hall of Fame. In 2022, Central Michigan recognized the close connection between the two coaches and their outstanding contributions to the Chippewa program by officially naming its football venue as the Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Kramer began his coaching career as a high school coach in Michigan, and during a decade in the high school ranks his teams won three state championships. In 1965, Kramer joined the staff at Central Michigan University as an assistant, coaching the freshman team to a 7-1 mark before being bumped up to head coach.

Kramer graduated from Maryville College (TN), and he was a standout lineman on the football team as well as a wrestler. He played in the inaugural Tangerine Bowl (now the Citrus Bowl) on January 1, 1947, as a freshman for Maryville and losing to Catawba (NC) 31-6. During his senior year at Maryville, he was called to serve during the Korean War, delaying his graduation. After his service and graduating from Maryville in 1953, Kramer earned his master's degree with a double major in history and education from the University of Michigan in 1954.

Kramer has been inducted into the Central Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame (1987); Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame (2008 as an inaugural member); Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (1989); Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (2003). He has been awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (2008), NCFAA Contribution to College Football Award (2011); Duffy Daugherty Award (2013). The Men's and Women's SEC Athlete of the Year Award is presented annually as the Roy F. Kramer Award in his honor, and the NFF presented him its Distinguished American Award in 1998.