Clint Lamb
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Now that the national championship game has come and gone, we can officially say we made it through the college football season. Technically, that includes Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, but barely.
According to Michael Smith with the Sports Business Journal, the Pac-12 is parting ways with Scott. That news comes after a meeting on Wednesday night from conference CEOs. Smith also announced that the search for a new commissioner will begin immediately.
NEWS: Pac-12 agrees to part ways with commissioner Larry Scott. Conference CEOs just finished meeting tonight. National search for new commissioner will begin immediately.https://t.co/4VKJQbzIeB
— Michael Smith (@SmittySBJ) January 21, 2021
The move won’t become official until June, but it will mark the end of an 11-year run for Scott. The contract for Scott wasn’t supposed to be up until midway through 2022, but he has decided to step down a year early.
Look, no one is denying that the Pac-12 has fallen behind other conferences. Dealing with the differences in time zones is one thing, but revenue streams and television exposure are important. This is an area where Scott clearly failed in comparison.
Does this move have anything to do with the conference being reactive to Big Ten decisions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s possible, but we don’t really know. The bottom line is Scott — and the Pac-12 — were exposed in some ways during the months leading up to the season.
The lack of leadership was glaring, but there’s more to this situation than that.
More than likely, this move is a reaction to the Pac-12 falling behind and Scott’s performance as commissioner. No other conference has been left out of more College Football Playoff selections. Outside of Oregon back in 2014, the representation hasn’t been great.
On-field performance may not be Scott’s fault, but the national perception of the conference could be. Most people would agree that new blood is needed, and it looks like the Pac-12 agrees.
Expect a statement from the conference later this evening.
Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.
thank God and good riddance!
About friggin time!!!
Remind me, what is the PAC 12?
No one on the east coast gives 2 shits about the Pac 10. The time zone difference kills the product. Most people are in bed when they play. That is something that Jesus couldn’t even control. 1000 pm start for Oregon State vs Utah is not a draw
His complete incompetence is beyond belief. I can’t believe it took this long to be rid of this prima donna silver spoon-fed nincompoop. A complete abject failure.
The next guy better help USC and Oregon get on top again.
Pac 10 then 12 alum here…about effing time. We are a non-factor in sports that make money yet he lived high on the hog for years. What a shyster.
Never understood why the Pac 12 has never made a deal with DIRECTV.
Football isn’t the same without a West Coast team in the mix every year. More parity is better for the game. Right now college football is teetering, because it’s far too top-heavy with the same handful of programs who have a realistic chance every year. That’s boring. It’s nice for those 4-5 programs and their fans, but 90% of the rest of fans are changing the channel now.
The first of many collateral damage situations from the Left’s 2020 war on American prosperity. Now that Biden is in the White House they don’t need COVID or the media hyping the arrest that turned violent of (insert name here) multiple felon to hurt the Trump Administration.
Guys like Larry Scott drank the koolaid, bought the T-shirt, and went full retard over COVID. Now they are going to pay the price for it. And (surprise!) his friends in Washington cannot save his job, nor do they really give a shit about his job. He served his purpose. Gretchen Whitmer will be on the chopping block soon enough.
I like your enthusiasm 👍🏼
Oregon, USC, Utah, Arizona St, Stanford and Washington all seem like great markets to get things moving in.
The power 6 of the Pac 12 should not have starts after the primetime window and many pairings should be during the 1:30pm window.
Since CBS now looks like they are going to have some broadcast time available, maybe have a Pac-12 game of the week in the afternoon slot that the SEC will be giving up.
If they can appeal to a east coast viewer with times that fit into normal viewing windows, I think we can see a resurgence of the conference.
Despite the obvious disparity in Scott’s performance compared to his peers, I am surprised by this move based on the fact that he has been left in place so long with the conference so obviously adrift.
Take the money and run, Larry!
Go Bruins!