Roy Kramer, who was Vanderbilt AD, selected to College Football Hall of Fame as coach

Dani Mohr, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read
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Former Vanderbilt athletic director and SEC commissioner Roy Kramer was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame for his coaching tenure on Monday.

Kramer, 93, was hired as the coach of Central Michigan in 1967 and in 11 seasons amassed an 83-32-2 record and guided the Chippewas to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1974.

He continues to make his home on Tellico Lake in Loudon, Tennessee.

The 2023 class includes 18 players and four coaches.

Kramer served as Vanderbilt's athletic director from 1978-90, where he took initiative on rebuilding Vanderbilt Stadium and new athletic facilities. Kramer moved on to become SEC commissioner in 1990 and helped expand the conference to 12 teams, adding South Carolina and Arkansas, and was at the helm of the SEC when it introduced its conference championship game.

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The native of Maryville, Tennessee, and Maryville College graduate began his career in athletics coaching high school football in Michigan and achieved an undefeated record with three teams in three years.

Kramer was also the pioneer of a group of commissioners that developed the Bowl Championship Series, a selection system used for 16 years to determine two teams to would play for in the national championship.

In addition to his college football accomplishments, Kramer also engineered new television packages with ESPN and CBS. Under his supervision, the SEC won 81 total national championships. The conference's men's and women's athlete of the year awards are presented annually as the Roy F. Kramer Award in his honor.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 5 at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Roy Kramer selected to College Football Hall of Fame as coach