The term of Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, as the league’s chief executive, will end on June 30, the league announced Wednesday night. Scott, 56, and the conference “mutually agreed” on the decision, although his contract was set to run until June 2022.
Scott has run the league since 2009, overseeing its expansion to 12 schools and helping launch the Pac-12 Network. But more recently, the league has dealt with declining prestige in football and men’s basketball, as well as with well-publicized financial problems.
“We appreciate Larry’s pioneering efforts in growing the conference, adding new competitive university programs and accelerating the Pac-12 to parity the television network with other conferences,” said Oregon President Michael Schill in a statement. “At one point, our television deal was the most profitable in the country and the debut of the Pac-12 Network helped deliver our champion brand to the United States and global markets on traditional and digital platforms. Stay still and now is a good time. to bring in a new leader who will help us develop our strategy for advancement. “
Scott was the highest paid commissioner in college athletics, with $ 4.8 million a year, which was higher than the combined salaries of the top ten SEC commissioners.
Asked what his legacy would be, Scott told Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports: “I don’t know. That’s for others to say.”
Scott also said that “I would take a break and reflect after 20 years in professional sport, 10 years in college. I am excited about the next chapter.”
“It was an incredible journey. I am very grateful,” said Scott. “I am truly honored to have served such different universities. I was inspired by student-athletes. I had a great team and, with our members, I had the chance to do something unusual to lead a transformation. very well positioned for the next TV business. Many changes are happening in college sports.
“I’m in my third contract. This one had 18 months to finish. We sat down with the idea to find out. At the first meeting, it was clear that our presidents and chancellors found a good time for a different direction. expressed that it was a good time in my life for a change. It was kind of clear. Let’s go ahead, there is no reason to wait. They just asked me to wait for the end of the year. “
Throughout his tenure, Scott was known for his extravagant spending. The conference paid $ 6.9 million in rent annually for its offices in downtown San Francisco. After Pac-12 moved its basketball tournament to Las Vegas, The Oregonian reported that a resort casino granted Scott the use of a 3,400 square foot suite.
Scott’s downfall may ultimately have been the Pac-12 Network. The integral development, launched in 2012, suffered from distribution problems from which it was never able to recover. The network has never been seen by enough viewers to make it viable, as it could never reach a transport deal on DirecTV, one of the largest cable systems in the country.
Fans across the region complained about not being able to see their teams; in 2015, the network was available in 90 million households, but only 15 million were subscribers.
His time was also marked by a scandal. Scott was criticized for essentially having his conference pay for coverage in the Los Angeles Times, and when the idea was revealed, the practice stopped quickly.
A national search for Scott’s replacement will “begin immediately,” the league said in a statement.