They came from all over. Coaches. Administrators. Media members. Athletic directors. Nick Saban was there. So too were John Calipari, Phil Fulmer and Bruce Pearl.
A Who's Who of dignitaries with ties to the SEC appeared Friday at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham to pay respects to former conference commissioner Mike Slive, who died Wednesday at 77.
During a memorial service that started in the late morning and trickled into the early afternoon, a man who made his greatest impact in the late stages of his life was celebrated.
"The one thing that has resonated with me and is one of the most accurate: He was one of the most powerful people in sports yet he was one of the nicest," ESPN personality Paul Finebaum told the large gathering.