Mike Slive is the only conference commissioner the University of Cincinnati has known for the past 11 years — four in the Great Midwest and seven in Conference USA. The search for a new one will begin soon.

        Slive was named commissioner of the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday at a news conference in Birmingham, Ala.

        “He's got good credentials, and he's probably a good fit,” UC athletic director Bob Goin said. “I'm happy for Mike. He's going to one of the most prestigious athletic conferences in the country.”

        What's next for Conference USA?

        Not much will be known until next week at the earliest. Charlotte chancellor Dr.James H.Woodward, the chairman of C-USA's board of directors, and UC president Dr.Joseph Steger, the vice chair, are away on vacation.

        Brian Teter, C-USA assistant commissioner, said the executive committee of the board — Woodward, Steger, Saint Louis president Rev.Lawrence Biondi, TCU chancellor Michael Ferrari and Memphis president Dr.Shirley Raines — is expected to have a conference call next week to address:

        • A timetable for the search.

        • Criteria for candidates.

        • Whether to hire a national firm to help find Slive's successor.

        Slive is scheduled to start with the SEC on Aug.1, Teter said. The process of replacing him probably will take several months.

        “I like what we've accomplished,” Goin said. “I think in the next three, four or five years, it's going to be very important the next commissioner is somebody that's sensitive to ADs and the role of the faculty reps and the needs of our coaches to get the kind of exposure and the kind of resources that they need.”

        In September, Slive was awarded a contract extension through June 30, 2006. He has been C-USA's commissioner since the league was founded in 1995.

        C-USA is affiliated with five college bowl football games; 17 league teams have earned bowl bids. It has sent 24 men's basketball teams and 25 women's basketball teams to NCAA Tournament play. The league just finished the first year of an eight-year TV contract with ESPN.

        • Slive said Tuesday a task force would look at ways for the heavily penalized SEC to cope with repeated NCAA rules violations.

        Slive said the panel would consider ways of “creating an atmosphere (where) violations are unacceptable.” The SEC has been hit with 42 major rules violations since 1953, the most of any league.

        Two SEC football teams — Alabama and Kentucky — are on NCAA probation. Arkansas is under NCAA investigation and Tennessee is under investigation by the SEC. LSU is conducting an internal review for possible football violations.

        Slive, who chairs the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee, said he recused himself from hearing appeals by Alabama and UK once he began considering the SEC job.

C-USA loses commissioner to SEC

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