Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott Will End 11-Year Tenure In June

Commissioner Larry Scott and the Pac-12 Conference have mutually agreed to part ways in June, the conference announced Wednesday, one year prior to the official expiration date of Scott’s contract.

The Pac-12 says the decision was reached following discussions between its governing executive committee, its presidents, and Scott, with upcoming media negotiations marking the right team to change leadership.

Scott has served as Pac-12 Commissioner for 11 years. His contract is officially scheduled to expire in June 2022, but he will only remain in his role until June 30, 2021 to assist the conference in its transition.

“The decision was made well in advance of next year’s contract expiration, in part, to allow a new commissioner to be in place to negotiate and maximize the Conference’s next important long-term media rights agreement,” the conference said in its release.

The Pac-12 executive committee will immediately begin a national search for Scott’s replacement.

Throughout his time in the role, Scott has led the conference to new heights, including helping turn the Pac-12 into a modern 12-team league during the 2010-11 season. He also got member institutions to agree to equal revenue sharing for the first time in conference history, created two football divisions, and established a Football Championship Game. Scott also secured major media rights deals with ESPN and FOX, and established the Pac-12 Network that brought exposure to all of the conference’s sports.

Scott says the time is right to move on and pursue “other exciting opportunities” with the media negotiations on the horizon.

“It is important that the conference be able to put in place the person who will negotiate and carry out that next agreement,” he said. “Based on the recent robust valuation and marketplace interest we’ve received from traditional and nontraditional media organizations, I am confident the conference is well-positioned for continued success. I appreciate the support of the Pac-12 member institutions and a very talented staff, with whom it has been my privilege to work.”

Pac-12 executive committee chair and University of Oregon President Michael Schill lauded Scott for all that he’s done, but added that the time was right for a new leader.

“We appreciate Larry’s pioneering efforts in growing the conference by adding new competitive university programs and accelerating the Pac-12 to television network parity with the other conferences,” said Schill. “At one point, our television agreement was the most lucrative in the nation and the debut of the Pac-12 Network helped deliver our championship brand to US and global markets on traditional and digital platforms.

“That said, the intercollegiate athletics marketplace doesn’t remain static and now is a good time to bring in a new leader who will help us develop our go-forward strategy.”