Blog: No Quick Fixes For New Pac-10 Boss

Addressing television contracts and bowl tie-ins will take time for new Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott.

For years, fans of the Pac-10 have been united in opposition by frustrations, frustration over East Coast bias, the BCS, officiating, bowl arrangements and television exposure.

Commissioner Tom Hansen became the face of these frustrations, the do-nothing leader of the league that was falling behind.

As Oregon, USC and Cal held the short end of the BCS stick at times over the last few years, Hansen never challenged the system. Instead, he defended the ‘tradition’ of the Rose Bowl and vowed to leave if a plus-one was instituted.

As the conference was locked into bad TV deals, Hansen never considered new and innovative solutions. Instead, he went out of his way to praise agreements that killed the Pac-10’s national profile.

The closest Hansen ever came to meaningful, bold leadership was the failed attempt to bring Texas and Colorado into the fold in the 1990’s. The key word is that sentence would be ‘failed.’

In that regard, Larry Scott has an easy act to follow. Any significant action – in improving television contracts, bowl tie-ins or officiating – will surely be met with approval from fans used to obstructionist leadership resistant to change. The early reaction to Scott’s hiring has been cautiously optimistic for just that reason, as does his track record in developing significant revenues from sponsorships and television as head of the Women’s Tennis Association.

But he also faces significant challenges exacerbated by the nation’s economic downturn. How does Scott sell the conference to bowl games in Texas and Florida when the Pac-10 has a reputation for not traveling well? How does he get national TV contracts that actually mean Maine and Massachusetts can see West Coast football?

The change is a start. At least, that’s what Pac-10 fans are hoping.

Otherwise, they’ll have a new face for their anger.