The Pac-12 will finally have some new leadership.
Larry Scott was fired as commissioner of the Pac-12 on Wednesday. CEOs of the conference finished a meeting that led to the decision.
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
Scott sent an email to the Pac-12 athletic directors, telling them it was a mutual decision, even though he had a contract that ran through 2022.
Just spoke to a Pac-12 source. Can confirm the league is parting ways with Larry Scott. He was extended through 2022 back in 2017. Scott has made an estimated $40 million during his time as Pac-12 commissioner.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 21, 2021
The move is long overdue and really is coming far too late.
Scott took over as Pac-12 commissioner in 2009. Since then, the conference has become less and less relevant in college football and basketball, and is viewed as a joke among the Power 5 conferences, especially in football. The conference barely having a season in 2020 set it back even more than it already had been in terms of nationwide reputation.
The biggest error Scott made was keeping the Pac-12 Networks, which were launched in 2012, off of DirecTV. A significant percentage of the conferences fans were unable to watch their teams due to this horrible TV deal and became more disconnected with their programs. Simultaneously, Scott recently introduced 9 AM football games, which would give no chance for fans to have a typical college football Saturday.
Under Scott, the conference also expanded to include Colorado and Utah. Once highly-regarded as the Conference as Champions, the Pac-12 has plummeted in stature due to Scott’s horrendous leadership.
