Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott Saturday "repeated the new Pac-12 company line," saying the conference is "absolutely thrilled" with where it stands but "might re-evaluate" if the landscape of college sports changes, according to Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN.com. Scott said, "Simply put, our presidents and our athletic directors are absolutely thrilled with where we are in a world of 12-team conferences. We're at the top of the heap and we love our position. If the world changes -- and it's not a world of 12-team conferences anymore -- then we might re-evaluate." Scott added, "If schools are going to leave the Big 12 and there's going to be a paradigm shift or a landscape change, as people like to describe it, then we will then step back and look at options and reconsider." Wojciechowski noted, "Scott makes no secret of what direction he thinks college athletics is headed. He sees those superconferences. He sees survival of the fittest. He sees consolidation and expansion as a way to ensure stability." Scott: "I think what's going on is evidence of that. There's a real disparity between certain conferences" (ESPN.com, 9/11). Scott added that the Pac-12 "could thrive with as many as 16 teams, and could modify its new $3 billion television deal with ESPN and Fox to accommodate any new additions" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 9/11). Scott said, "Never in a million years would I have said in 12 months you'll see movement around that again. I think this caught everybody by surprise, that this instability has kicked up again" (K.C. STAR, 9/10).
MIXED MESSAGES: In L.A., Chris Dufresne noted Scott "has been sending out confusing signals ever since news broke" that Texas A&M was probably leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. On Aug. 31, Scott released a statement that the Pac-12 "was not looking to expand." Then, on Sept. 3 Scott said that he "had received calls from other schools and told a reporter, 'Further consolidation and more stability would be good for college football.'" Scott Friday said that he "hoped there was no expansion and 'all conferences that are 12 stay at 12.'" He added, "That would get our vote" (L.A. TIMES, 9/11). Also in L.A., Vincent Bonsignore wrote, "If that sounds like a bit of backpedal ... it was. Sort of. Scott is playing both sides of the fence right now and, despite mucking up the message a bit, he's doing a pretty good job of it" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 9/11).
KEEPING NINE: In Ft. Worth, Jimmy Burch reported Big 12 officials "have discussed tweaks to the existing conference structure -- from revenue-sharing procedures to bylaws to concessions from Texas in regard to its Longhorn Network -- that might convince Oklahoma to remain part of a nine-team nucleus, without A&M, that would explore Big 12 expansion.” Multiple Big 12 administrators “expressed growing optimism Saturday that the league can be salvaged.” A source said that “the nine league presidents working to save the league are 'people who like each other a lot more than is being portrayed' in media reports” (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/11). In San Antonio, Tim Griffin noted several reports indicate that the Univ. of Texas “would be willing to share its Tier 1 revenue provided through the Big 12’s television contracts for football to help preserve the conference.” That “would not affect the $15 million provided each year to the school by the Longhorn Network.” Griffin: “But the key to keeping the Big 12 together still appears to be convincing Oklahoma to stay” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 9/11). Meanwhile, CBSSPORTS.com’s Bryan Fischer reported Scott “discussed issues with the man who has seen several of his teams openly flirt with other conferences, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe.” Scott: “I did speak with Dan. ... We spoke over the phone and had a nice chat” (CBSSPORTS.com, 9/10).
BIG MONEY BUYOUT: ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich cited sources as saying that ACC presidents are “considering increasing the buyout for member schools to leave the conference.” League presidents are "scheduled to discuss the topic early next week at their annual September meetings, but it is not the first time the topic has been discussed by the group, nor has the meeting been scheduled specifically to address expansion." Sources said that the "current buyout for an ACC team to leave the conference ... is between $10 million to $13 million" (ESPN.com, 9/9).
WHO'S REALLY IN CHARGE? In N.Y., Pete Thamel wrote, "If the presidents are indeed running college sports right now, they have more work to do." Big Ten and Pac-12 members "have signed grants of rights, which basically give all of the television rights from each university's sports to the conference for a specified number of years." The NCAA "cannot influence realignment because of antitrust issues," but NCAA President Mark Emmert "could make a difference by persuading university presidents to commit to signing grants of rights to help stabilize the conference landscape." But Thamel noted "inaction has been a hallmark" of the NCAA. Although Emmert "promised swift changes last month, the only significant action to deter the bad behavior of college coaches and players has come" from the NFL. If the university presidents "are indeed in charge of sports, as Emmert reminds everyone, it could be another long year" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/11).
