By Brett Hudson

The Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive, for possibly the only time in his career as a man who frequently references men like Benjamin Franklin, sounded like the average man on the street in the Southeastern United States.

He bragged on the Southeastern Conference’s performance on the playing surface, and because of his stature, did so in front of roughly 1,200 media members to start off 2013’s SEC Media Days.

Brag bag on Alabama

After reeling off the conference’s gaudy national championship numbers from the previous season (which Alabama contributed to in football and men’s golf), Slive then turned his attention to the SEC’s efforts in the classroom.

This speech, like the on-field one, had an early and heavy Alabama flavor.

“Barrett Jones was awarded the National Football Foundation Campbell Trophy, better known as the academic Heisman,’ Slive said of the former Alabama center who won the award in 2012. Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy also won in the award in 2009, an accomplishment also recognized by Slive in the opening remarks.

Room to improve…

“Despite winning three of the last eight NCAA men’s championship in men’s basketball, I recognize that last season did not meet our expectations,” Slive said.

As an effort to remedy the situation, Slive has brought on former NCAA Tournament czar Greg Shaheen to consult all 14 schools regarding their nonconference scheduling in men’s basketball.

“None of our schools are on an island,” Slive said. “The decisions of one of our member institutions affect all of us.”

…and room for change

Not many things have been calling for it, especially in the SEC, have been calling for a total do-over. So Slive went to the national scene to find it, hoping for a continued effort to “push the reset button” with NCAA recruiting bylaws.

“In some ways, we have been bound by what has always been the way,” Slive said. “I hope we can be motivated in someway to achieve a better result.”

Slive mentioned the emergence of the Internet world, including Twitter and Facebook, as things the NCAA needs to look at as it moves forward with recruiting regulation reform.

While on the subject of the NCAA, Slive also outlined a letter he wrote to NCAA President Mark Emmert on behalf of the SEC after SEC Meetings in Destin, Fla., to bring to his attention the conference’s awareness of concussions in sport. Slive said the letter advocated continued research and the continued revision of rules to help the issue.

“Our tripleheader”

Ending the way he began, with a brag bag of sorts, Slive reiterated some positive details of the upcoming SEC Network and gave some new ones.

“I’m pleased to report the SEC Network continues to take shape,” Slive said.

Slive added more details to the network coverage plan, which he says is to include three SEC football games per Saturday. Slive released that the network will also carry a two-hour pregame show every Saturday, which will travel to different SEC campuses and culminate in Atlanta with the SEC Championship Game.

“We think the network will capture the tradition, rituals and spirit that distinguishes each SEC institution,” Slive said.