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Pac-12 spring meetings: Commissioner Larry Scott, ADs and HCs gathering this week

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It’s time for the Pac-12’s annual spring meetings in Phoenix, but these aren’t just any spring meetings. Oh, no. They’re arguably the most-anticipated gathering in years even though landscape-shifting topics like expansion, TV networks and football title games are nowhere to be found on the agenda.

The spotlight is all due to the Great Satellite Camp Vote and Bus Throwing.

Maybe commissioner Larry Scott called out UCLA AD Dan Guerrero two weeks ago just to generate interest in the Phoenix meetings … you know: even bad publicity is good publicity.

Only joking!!!

But if not for Scott’s public dress-down of Guerrero, the Pac-12 meetings, which begin today, would be an afterthought: The Big 12, which is considering expansion, a football title game and a TV network, is also meeting in Phoenix.

 

The feeling here, as previously expressed in my state-of-the-conference column, is that 1) Scott should apologize to Guerrero and 2) any frustration will be handled privately.

When Scott and the athletic directors comment publicly on any issues — IF they comment publicly — everyone will take the high road regarding the general mood and/or tone.

So …

What substantive topics are on the agenda?

Does complaining about officiating count? Because that’s what the spring meetings are in every conference: A chance for coaches to complain about officiating.

Aside from that, the Pac-12 plans to:

** Review the football and basketball seasons.

** Meet with ESPN and FOX.

** Provide updates on the Pac-12 Networks (that ought to be cheerful!).

** Provide updates on the global initiatives.

About that last matter …

Hotline sources outside the conference — these are sources with zero stake in the outcome — are with increasing frequency questioning Scott’s push to the Pacific Rim, noting that it costs time, energy and money but has little, if any chance of producing a tangible short-term gain.

And this is true: It’s not like the conference is on the brink of opening a massive new revenue stream in China or Australia. The end-game for the global initiative is years (and years) (and years) down the road. That’s not my view. Scott has said as much.

But the overseas effort, while perhaps high-minded and certainly backed by the CEOs, seems to ring hollow with so many issues on the domestic front, like the Pac-12 Networks and the, um, Pac-12 Networks.

Anyhow, I’m curious to learn this week whether the conference has any Pacific Rim initiatives that will provide material gain in the short term.

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Jon Wilner