National Football Foundation

Roy Kramer, the visionary and effective commissioner of the Southeastern Conference since 1990, former coach and athletic director, tonight receives the National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award.

The Distinguished American Award is presented to an individual who has exhibited superior leadership qualities and maintained a lifetime of interest in bettering the game of amateur football. That speaks to the crux of Kramer's career, from the time he was a player to his current job stewarding one of the nation's finest conferences.

When Roy Kramer assumed his duties as Southeastern Conference Commissioner, he did so with a bang. Within seven months he had brought two new members to the SEC family; Arkansas and South Carolina. He's been a busy man. During his watch, the SEC has experienced an unparalled growth. It shows up in records encompassing a lot of sports. In 1997-98 SEC teams won six NCAA National titles. It also came up with another record: $61.2 million distributed to its member institutions. For the last eight years that figure is $339 million.

And that is bound to get better. Kramer recently concluded negotiations on a multi-sport television package with CBS through the 2008-2009 academic year.

During his tenure, Kramer crafted the administration of a new format for divisional play. He created the initial Division I-A conference football championship game. He's also had an influential hand in negotiating multi-year bowl agreements for conference teams which qualify for post season competition.

Going beyond football, Kramer has been instrumental in introducing new scheduling formats for all SEC sports as well as the introduction and implementation of coaches educational seminars.

Before being drafted to head 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 include the $56 million renovation of the McCugin Center, which houses all of the Commodore athletic programs. He also was the leading force behind the construction of Vanderbilt Stadium in 1981.

As many of his peers have done, Kramer came to administration through playing and coaching. He was a standout football lineman as well as wrestler, graduating from Maryville College (Tenn.) in 1953. He got a masters from the University of Michigan in 1954

Kramer got his first coaching experience at the high school level in Michigan where he coached several teams, starting as an assistant at Battle Creek High School and winding up as head coach at Hudson. In his nine years as a Michigan high school coach Kramer's teams won three state championships.

After high school came college coaching. He joined the staff of Central Michigan University as an assistant in 1965. Two years later he was bumped up to head coach. In his ten years leading Central Michigan, Kramer compiled a 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.

Kramer's work with the NCAA is an important part of his contribution to amateur football--and his legacy. He serves or has served on at least 11 NCAA committees over the course of his career. Among them: the NCAA Management Council, Committee on Interactions, Investment Committee, Select Committee to Study Intercollegiate Athletics and the Committee for National Drug Testing.

Kramer was also a key player in the formation of the Bowl Alliance. 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.

He is also a member of the NACDA Executive Committee.?