Scott, whose contract expires in '22, said that his annual salary is $4.5M, including a target bonusGETTY IMAGES
Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott "described himself, under oath, as a media executive," which "certainly says something about the mission" of the conference, according to Jon Wilner of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. Scott made the statement testifying in Alston v. NCAA on Tuesday, and if his salary is "based on his role as a media executive, then shouldn’t he be judged on the performance of his media company when it comes time for the presidents and chancellors to assess performance?" Also, if the head of the conference is a media exec, how does that "square with the concept of amateurism and the mission of the academic institutions?" Wilner: "You can’t have it both ways -- at once basking in the non-profit purity of collegiate sports while allowing the head of the organization to base his compensation on benchmarks set by executives in the media industry" (MERCURYNEWS.com, 9/19). Wilner notes Scott during his testimony also was "asked about his salary in a series of seven questions by the NCAA’s attorney." Scott said that his "annual salary, including his ‘target bonus,’" is $4.5M. He said that it is "in line and reasonable with other media executives." Wilner notes exactly Pac-12 compensation consultants "arrive at the salary -- what percentage is based on comps to commissioners, what percentage is based on comp to media executives -- we don’t know." But "clearly Scott’s role as commissioner is part of the calculation." The dual roles "make Scott’s job markedly different from his peers in the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 9/20).
