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The executive committee of the Pac-12 conference CEO group gave me 15 minutes Thursday morning to ask questions about what will happen as a result of the conference commissioner’s dumping.
I thought of going out the door with: “What $ #% @ took you so long?
The conference announced Wednesday night that it would not renew the contract of besieged commissioner Larry Scott. The Pac-12 will hire a research firm, let them help write a job description, and Washington President Ana Mari Cauce told me Thursday, “Nothing is on the table.
Not the future of the Pac-12 network.
Not the future location of the conference headquarters.
Especially not a significant reduction in salary for the new employee.
My biggest takeaway is that this group of Presidents and Chancellors is much more evolved than the campus leaders since the last time this type of recruiting was done. They are engaged and much more attuned to the opportunities of athletics than their predecessors. They don’t think of sports as some sort of toy factory on campus, for example. And I have one important thought left – the current group of CEOs of Pac-12 seem to know what they’re doing.
Oregon President Michael Schill is the chairman of this group. He is joined on the Pac-12 executive committee by UW’s Cauce and Washington State President Kirk Schulz. Smart, attentive and a feeling of the great Pacific Northwest. Plus, they’re all newcomers who inherited Scott.
When I asked them about the distraction caused by Scott’s $ 5.3 million per year salary, Schulz said, “We are well aware of the PR surrounding Larry’s pay. My goal in this area is that this shouldn’t be the # 1 topic people are talking about when it comes to the Pac-12.
“I want to make sure we tone that down a bit.”
When I asked about the headquarters in downtown San Francisco bleeding the Pac-12 at a rate of $ 7 million a year, Cauce noted, “We don’t tie nobody’s hands, so we are not married, ‘he must be here’. or ‘it must be there.’ “
Schulz added, “We would expect the person to come in and weigh in early and make recommendations on network, conference venue and staff levels.
Basically it’s a total reboot.
It’s worth pointing out, as the trio did on Thursday morning, that most conference presidents and chancellors were not at work when Scott was hired ten years ago. Only ASU and UCLA are vestiges of the old guard. The rest of the Pac-12 inherited from him and had to live with Scott’s tired act like the rest of us. This is why I have always been convinced that this would bring about a change.
Schill told me that the conference had not yet drafted the job description for the new commissioner. He wants to consult with the other 11 leaders of the Pac-12 and determine what that should entail. He will also leave it up to the research company to help him. But Schulz made it clear when he proposed: “You have 12 schools, it’s like 12 kids. You must like them all different. I want the commissioner to come to Pullman (and other schools) and say, “What can I do to help you be successful?” “
Ditto for Washington, Oregon, USC and others. The next commissioner must understand the challenges on each campus. Must be a good listener from the start. This person’s term should begin with a two-day meeting with coaches, athletic directors and athletes from each of the campuses.
Do not travel by private charter either and stay in a five star hotel. Maybe rent a motorhome and park it in the parking lot outside the football stadium. Or crash into the Hampton Inn and eat take out.
You know, a glaring sign that things have really changed.
A short list of candidates I would like to speak with? Condoleezza Rice, maybe, although I doubt she’s interested. In addition, West Coast Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez and Alabama AD Greg Byrne, who worked on multiple campuses during the conference. Maybe Oliver Luck and Oregon AD Rob Mullens, too.
I think there is a line of good, hardworking souls who would love to become the person who saved the Pac-12. But more importantly, I am suddenly convinced that this group of CEOs will find this person.
The seat must evolve towards a more affordable footprint. Phoenix, Seattle, Las Vegas or the suburbs of the Bay Area? Everything is on the table. In addition, the future of the network is in serious doubt. I would vote to sell it to a partner like FS1 or ESPN and let it channel the resources to make it a success. But as the presidents reiterated on Thursday, those recommendations won’t come from a sports columnist.
They will come from the new employee.
An employee of this group must now become dead, solid, perfect.
Something else struck me as I spoke to the Pac-12 executive trio on Thursday. They were engaged and intelligent. They also looked like many avid conference fans. They talked about the Pac-12 as if they love and adore it. A few of them confessed that they even secretly rooted their rivals when it came to competing on the national stage.
Cauce said, “As much as I hate to say it, when the Cougs or Ducks win outside of the conference, it’s good for us.
Schill hit back, “I won’t say it because you’re in the press, but she’s been very supportive of us in some situations. I will stop there.
The trio spoke with hope and clarity on Thursday. It was a breath of fresh air. Scott is technically still at work until June, but the dismissive arrogance of his tenure is gone. It has been replaced by hope.
I have the impression that things are already improving.
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