Pac-12 Conference announces Commissioner Larry Scott is ending his term as Commissioner

Mutual decision taken one year before the end of his contract;

Scott will stay until June of this year

SAN FRANCISCO (January 20, 2021) – The Pac-12 Conference today announced that following ongoing discussions between its Executive Committee, Presidents and Commissioner Larry Scott, it was mutually agreed that the Commissioner will not seek a new contract. The decision was made well before the contract expires next year, in part to allow a new commissioner to be in place to negotiate and maximize the next important long-term conference media rights deal.

The Conference and Scott decided it was time for new leadership after his 11-year term. Scott’s existing contract is expected to expire in June 2022 and it has been agreed that he will remain in the position until June 30, 2021 to help with the transition.

The Pac-12 executive committee, including the president of the University of Oregon, Michael Schill, as chairman; Kirk H. Schulz, president of Washington State University; and Ana Mari Cauce, president of the University of Washington, will immediately undertake a national search for Scott’s replacement as commissioner.

“We appreciate Larry’s pioneering efforts in developing the conference by adding new competitive university programs and accelerating the parity of the Pac-12 television network with other conferences,” said Schill. “At one point our TV deal was the most lucrative in the country and the early days of the Pac-12 network helped deliver our champion brand to US and global markets on traditional and digital platforms. That said, the intercollegiate athletics market is not standing still and now is the right time to bring in a new leader who will help us develop our strategy for the future.

Scott, whose current term expires in 2022, said this time was a good one for several reasons: “I was in professional sport for 20 years, I have now been in varsity athletics for over 10 years, and now c it is a good time in my life to pursue other exciting opportunities. Right now, as varsity athletics takes a new direction and the Conference soon begins the next round of media negotiations, it seems the time has come for a change. It is important that the conference can establish the person who will negotiate and execute this next agreement. Based on the recent robust assessment and market interest we have received from traditional and non-traditional media organizations, I have no doubts that 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 I have had the privilege of working.

Commissioner Scott will leave a significant mark on the Pac-12. It was during the 2010-11 academic year that Scott helped bring about changes that transformed the Conference into a modern 12-team league. In addition to expanding to 12 teams, member institutions agreed to equal revenue sharing for the first time in Conference history, created two football divisions – the North Division and the South Division – and established a championship football match for the first time. Scott also secured major media rights deals with ESPN and FOX that dramatically increased the national visibility and revenues of each school, in addition to establishing Pac-12 networks that ensured better exposure in all sports.

Another area of ​​continuity that Pac-12 and member institutions will prioritize in the search for Scott’s successor will be maintaining positive graduation rates for Conference student-athletes. President Schill cited the improvements made by the Conference to graduation rates as measured by the NCAA Graduate Success Rate (GSR). With 90% of NCAA Division I student-athletes now graduating in the measured period, the Pac-12 saw improvements throughout the Conference, with some member institutions and athletic programs reaching rates of 100% graduation among student-athletes in specific sports programs.

The Pac-12 Conference has led or tied the nation in the NCAA Championship for 54 of the past 60 years, with exceptions no less than third. Under the leadership of Commissioner Scott, the Conference also launched its Pac-12 Impact program using the power of sport to promote a culture of diversity and inclusion. He has also been a leader in his Student Athlete Health and Wellness initiative, which conducts groundbreaking research in injury prevention, head trauma and mental health. Below you will find further milestones between Commissioner Scott, the Pac-12 Conference and member institutions.

About the Pac-12 conference

• His entrepreneurial approach to conference broadcast rights helped lay the groundwork for a solid assessment of these rights in the next round of negotiations. This approach included record revenues from Level I rights, exposure for unpaid sports, innovative digital media, equal sharing between schools, and the consolidation of all conference media rights into one package. Key to achieving these goals was the creation of Pac-12 Networks, the first television network wholly owned by a collegiate conference and whose goals went beyond revenue generation to focus on sports visibility. women’s and Olympic.

• These innovations, along with the ones below, have boosted Conference revenues from around $ 100 million to around $ 500 million per year.

• Addition of two schools (Colorado and Utah), allowing the creation of a championship football game, expanding the footprint and visibility of the conference.

• Adopted a new logo and identity built around its West Coast culture and innovation that modernized the Conference and helped it maintain its role as the Conference of Champions by winning 104 NCAA Championships over the course of the last decade.

• Used his West Coast identity to launch a major initiative in Asia, with a particular focus on China, including an annual regular-season basketball game in China and a major strategic alliance with Alibaba.

• Place a strong emphasis on the health and well-being of student-athletes, including research on the prevention and treatment of brain injury, liberalization of transfer rules, efforts to alleviate time pressures on students -athletes and the inclusion of student-athletes in the governance of the Conference.

• Develop comprehensive social justice efforts, including “Pac-12 Impact”, working closely with our student-athletes to promote education and hiring practices to achieve equality.