*** The Pac-12 Hotline newsletter is published each Monday-Wednesday-Friday during the college sports season and twice-a-week in the summer. (Sign up here for a free subscription.) This edition, from Oct. 9, has been made available in archived form.
Larry Scott on Criticism: “Goes with the territory”
Problems for Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott seem to come in waves.
The latest has washed ashore over the past two months, with layoffs and furloughs at the conference office, executive bonuses that were paid before the staff downsizing, the expenses incurred in San Francisco and the absence of football on the Pac-12 Networks.
Earlier this week, Scott appeared on the Bickley and Marotta radio show on Arizona Sports 98.7 for an informative, candid conversation that touched on all the touchy touch points.
I’d encourage everyone to listen to the full 15 minutes — the first half focuses on the football season — but here are a few relevant snippets.
• Whether the Pac-12 is wasteful with executive bonuses and rent paid in San Francisco:
“There’s a perception out there that’s just incorrect, in my view. What people have a tough time comparing apples to apples is the conferences that also have their own networks, the networks are all run by outside entities. They don’t have the head counts. They don’t have the rent. They don’t have other things. But folks don’t seem to be able to make that distinction …
“We’re also based in San Francisco. That decision to be in the Bay Area certainly preceded me.”
“We have a rigorous process we go through with our finance committee, which is made up of university presidents and university chief financial officers, and I’m very confident that we’re pursuing the mission and the mandate on behalf our members at a high level in an efficient way.”
• The potential for his tenure to end and whether he has lost the support of the presidents:
“Not at all. There’s a lot of rumor and speculation and that just goes with the territory in a very public facing role, and it’s true of commissioners in other leagues, as well. It just goes with the territory.”
* The Pac-12 Networks:
“It’s achieved a lot of what its objectives were … It has not reached its full potential, for sure, in terms of distribution. I know the DirecTV issue has been a huge irritant for fans that have it and weren’t willing to switch to the several other networks in every market that have (the Pac-12 Networks).”
“Sure, there are things we could have done differently. We might have made different tradeoffs, but certainly, there have been a lot of benefits our members have gotten by having the network, and what we’ll see in 2024″ — when the new media contract begins — “is the wisdom of keeping our rights and owning and controlling it ourselves and being able to adapt to a rapidly changing media landscape.”
* How he can elevate the conference’s reputation:
“The most important is that we have teams that win.”
Say what you will about Scott’s responses on other topics — for instance: the response involving DirecTV — but his last point is spot on:
The rebuilding of the conference’s football reputation starts with winning marquee, non-conference games. — Jon Wilner
Hot off the Hotline
• The California Four are set to begin training camp today with full contact and only minor restrictions on cohorts. USC, UCLA, Cal and Stanford can use groups of 75 players, although Stanford will do so in nearby San Mateo County (for the time being) because of local restrictions. Here’s our full report, which includes details on the state’s new public health order for college athletics.
• Wednesday marked the return of the Pac-12 stock report after a multi-week absence. We’re bullish on Arizona State and USC for agreeing to play at 9 a.m. and bearish on the conference’s playoff strategy and the football-less Pac-12 Networks.
• The Hotline listened to all six hours of the Pac-12 coaches media webinar on Wednesday and came away with a lengthy list of notable comments, especially on early kickoffs, quarterback competitions and Covid concerns.
• The Tuesday newsletter examined the preseason win totals for each team, with our Over/Under assessment of the numbers provided by BetOnline.ag. Previous editions of the newsletter are available in archived form
Support the Hotline: Several Hotline articles will remain free each month (as will the newsletter), but for access to all content, you’ll need to subscribe. I’ve secured a rate of $1 per week for a full year or just 99 cents for the first month, with the option to cancel anytime. Click here. And thanks for your loyalty.
Key Dates
Nov. 7: Pac-12 football opening day
Nov. 18: NBA Draft (New York City)
Nov. 25: NCAA basketball season begins
Dec. 16-18: NCAA early-signing period (football)
Dec. 18: Pac-12 championship game (on campus)
Dec. 19: Pac-12 champ weekend matchups
Dec. 20: College Football Playoff/bowl selections
Jan. 1: CFP semifinals (Rose and Sugar bowls)
In the News
(Note: The Hotline newsletter includes links to sites that could require a subscription once the number of free views has been reached.)
• Our top story comes from the Front Range, where Colorado has received clearance from Boulder County health authorities to begin training camp in a full-contact mode. Is it crazy for first-year coach Karl Dorrell to think the Buffaloes can compete for a title? Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla thinks so: “Emoji me ROTFL. Are you nuts, Coach?”
• UCLA will wear Under Armour apparel this season despite the ongoing legal battle and the company’s attempts to extricate itself from the massive contract. The Bruins simply didn’t have the time to find a replacement that could produce all the gear in time, reports the L.A. Times.
• John Canzano of the Oregonian addresses the lack of media expertise at the heart of the decisions that have plagued the Pac-12 Networks: “Leadership really didn’t know what it was doing.”
• Anonymous Pac-12 officials are reportedly frustrated with the conference’s policies and leadership, per The Athletic. New football supervisor Merton Hanks doesn’t seem interested in making a change at the top, however.
• Washington State coach Nick Rolovich had a drink with one of the pillars of Cougar football, former coach Mike Price, in advance of his first-ever practice in Pullman.
• Tyler Shough is the current favorite to win Oregon’s quarterback duel, but Boston College transfer Anthony Brown should provide serious competition.
• Washington coach Jimmy Lake hasn’t ruled out the possibility that “multiple guys” get a turn at quarterback in the opener.
• Arizona’s defensive line hasn’t exactly been a strength in recent years, but that could be changing.
• The CalBearsMaven site provides updates on the roster, which doesn’t include Tevin Paul, who was expected to start at outside linebacker.
• Five questions for USC as fall camp opens. And five players who could shape the Trojans’ regular season.
• Five questions for UCLA as fall camp opens. And five players who could shape the Bruins’ regular season.
• And, lastly, here are five questions for Utah.
ADs Corner
• Washington athletic director Jen Cohen has been named one of the most power and influential women in sports by Sports Illustrated. Cohen is one of five female ADs at the Power Five level — she’s the only one west of Nashville — and is part of a combined entry with the other four. (The group includes former Cal AD Sandy Barbour, now at Penn State.)
Money Matters
• Cal has announced a new fundraising drive, called the “Roll On” campaign, that’s designed to mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic. Per the university: “Cal Athletics Fund has set a goal to raise $15 million in annual support for the 2020-21 fiscal year to help offset these new costs and safeguard Cal’s commitment to providing an exceptional student-athlete experience.” Like many other schools in the conference, the Bears are expecting a major budget hit in 2020-21. Unlike everyone else in the conference, Cal supports 30 intercollegiate sports.
Looking Ahead
What’s coming on the Pac-12 Hotline:
• Saturday Night Five is coming. The column will be published in its usual window each and every weekend through the football and basketball seasons.
• My AP top-25 ballot is also coming (Sunday morning).
• In production: A three-part series on diversity and inclusion in the Pac-12, from the perspective of alumni, the schools and the conference office.
• Please note: Our projections for the football season will be rolled out in the middle of the month. The Hotline prefers to buy as much time as possible to let depth charts solidify.
The next newsletter is scheduled for Tuesday. Enjoy it? Please forward this email to friends (sign up here). If you don’t, or have other feedback, let me know: pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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