Larry Scott was despised by fans of Pac-12 schools for years after doing lasting damage to the conference’s reputation and performance in the major sports of college football and college basketball. For years, fans widely acknowledged that Scott was taking the conference in the wrong direction.
So why now, why after all these years, did the Pac-12 finally part ways with Scott a year before his contract was set to expire in June, 2022?
According to college football reporter Stewart Mandel, the conference’s TV deal is up in 2024. The Pac-12 wanted to have a new commissioner in place well before then as TV negotiations are likely to begin well before 2024.
The timing of the Pac-12‘s move is no coincidence. Their TV deal is up in 2024. Negotiations will likely begin in earnest 18-24 months beforehand. They clearly want the next commissioner settled in beforehand.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) January 21, 2021
This is smart. The conference should have gotten rid of Scott years ago, but the earlier they get him out, the better.
Scott will stay on through June before exiting. A new commissioner should help the conference secure better rights, a better TV package, and hopefully fix the DirecTV problem.
