Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen To Retire Next Year

Pac-10's Tom Hansen To Retire In '09

Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen yesterday announced his retirement effective July 1, 2009. Upon his retirement, Hansen will have served as Pac-10 Commissioner for 26 years, the longest term served by a commissioner of a Football Bowl Subdivision conference. Pac-10 teams during Hansen’s tenure have won 204 NCAA championships (Pac-10). In N.Y., Pete Thamel writes a “part of his legacy will be his staunch opposition to a playoff system in college football.” Despite “strong public and news media criticism, Hansen never wavered on protecting the Pac-10’s and the Big Ten’s relationship with the Rose Bowl.” Hansen said of the BCS, “It’s been a good system.” Hansen said that he will “look back fondly upon many other highlights of his tenure, including the growth of women’s sports in the Pac-10, and relationships with everyone from student-athletes to university presidents.” Possible replacements for Hansen include Stanford Univ. AD Bob Bowlsby, WAC Commissioner Karl Benson, Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson and former Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg (N.Y. TIMES, 6/10).

STAYING THE COURSE: Hansen predicted that his departure “will not result in a change of league policy on several high profile issues, including the Pac-10’s historic link to the Rose Bowl and its opposition to either football playoffs or expansion in the number of member institutions.” He also said that the timing of his departure “will install his successor at a time when there should be a few major front-burner issues demanding instant attention.” The Pac-10’s bowl contracts run for two more seasons, the TV contracts run for four more years, and the men’s basketball tourney contract runs for four more seasons (Tacoma NEWS-TRIBUNE, 6/10). In L.A., Adam Rose wrote Hansen’s 26-year reign “has seen the Pac-10 firmly establish itself as the top all-sports conference in America.” But “some people will remember Hansen’s last few years as a time when the Pac-10 stood in the way of a football playoff.” Others “will look at this as an opportunity to catch up with other leagues in terms of TV contracts and bowl tie-ins” (LATIMES.com, 6/9).

TOUGH LOSS: In Arizona, Greg Hansen wrote, "I hate to see Tom Hansen go. He is a good man with a wonderful history of keeping 10 powerful schools unified and moving in a healthy financial direction." Hansen "forever took the bullets" for the conference's TV contracts with FSN. The ADs "loved him because he gave them more revenue than they could have hoped to get from ESPN. Every time someone like Lute Olson shouted that the league was nuts to align itself with Fox, the ADs winked at one another knowing that their bottom line was protected and that Hansen was the fall guy. ... If his successor lasts even 10 years given all the politics from 10 dynamic institutions in a volatile sports world, it will be an upset" (AZSTARNET.com, 6/9).