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Pac-12 parts ways with commissioner Larry Scott after highly-criticized tenure
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The Pac-12 and conference commissioner Larry Scott are parting ways after an 11-year partnership, the conference announced Wednesday night.
Scott’s contract was set to expire in 2022, but the decision was made now so a new commissioner could be in place to negotiate the Pac-12’s next national television contract.
“We appreciate Larry’s pioneering efforts in growing the conference by adding new competitive university programs and accelerating the Pac-12 to television network parity with the other conferences,” University of Oregon President Michael Schill said in a press release. “At one point, our television agreement was the most lucrative in the nation and the debut of the Pac-12 Network helped deliver our championship brand to US and global markets on traditional and digital platforms. That said, the intercollegiate athletics marketplace doesn’t remain static and now is a good time to bring in a new leader who will help us develop our go-forward strategy.”
Schill chairs the Pac-12’s executive committee.
Under Scott’s leadership, the Pac-12 has fallen behind the other Power 5 conferences in terms of media revenue and football performance.
A Pac-12 team hasn’t made the College Football Playoff since 2016 (Washington). Other than the Huskies, the only other Pac-12 program to appear in the CFP is Oregon, which happened in the Playoff’s inaugural season.
According to the press release, the Pac-12 will immediately begin a national search for Scott’s replacement.
Here’s Scott’s statement on his departure:
“I was in pro sports for 20 years, I’ve now been in college athletics for more than 10 years, and now is a great time in my life to pursue other exciting opportunities,” he said in the release. “This moment, when college athletics are moving in a new direction and with the Conference soon commencing the next round of media negotiations, it seems the right time to make a change. It is important that the conference be able to put in place the person who will negotiate and carry out that next agreement. Based on the recent robust valuation and marketplace interest we’ve received from traditional and nontraditional media organizations, I am confident the conference is well-positioned for continued success. I appreciate the support of the Pac-12 member institutions and a very talented staff, with whom it has been my privilege to work.”
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.