Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott is in an uncomfortable position as the face of the Pac-12. With his conference continuing to lag in the financial department compared to other power conferences and with continued struggles to generate the revenue hoped for with the launch of the Pac-12 Network in recent years, Scott and the Pac-12 are scrambling to find new ways to spark interest and revenue for the conference. In a conversation with members of the media during some spring meetings this week, Scott addressed the future of the conference and its current plans, and also touched on the subject of some sort of scheduling uniformity between the power conferences.
Scott voiced his support for the idea of every power conference requiring its members to play 10 games each season against other power conference competition. The idea being that requiring every member of a power conference to play 10 games against other power conference opponents would compensate for the fact that each power conference either has a different number of members or a different scheduling requirement in place.
Pac-12 commish Larry Scott said he would be in favor of each Power 5 conference team playing at least 10 Power 5 opponents each season
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 2, 2019
For example, the 14-team Big Ten schedules a 9-game conference schedule and requires its members to schedule one additional non-conference game against a power conference opponent. On the other hand, the SEC and ACC each schedule 8-conference games and require a power conference opponent in non-conference play. The Pac-12 plays a nine-game schedule in conference play but does not require its members to schedule power conference opponents (although many end up doing just that anyway). Scott also made clear the Pac-12 was not about to change the way the conference handles its scheduling philosophy any time soon.
#Pac12 commissioner Larry Scott on the league's football scheduling approach, which is consistently the most aggressive in CFB but create tougher paths to the playoff: "It’s pretty apparent our schools do not singularly focus on how to skate through as easily as possible."
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) May 2, 2019
In an attempt to level the scheduling playing field by having each member of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC play 10 games overall against power conference opponents, you would be asking more from some conferences than others. And getting everybody on the same page might be a tall order that just will never be fulfilled. In requiring so many games against power conference opponents, you would be asking schools to be making some costly sacrifices by giving up s key home game, which for some schools is a massive revenue generator with the stadiums as big as they are.
Sure, it might make for great TV, and if that’s the case then the TV money may eventually win out, but it will also be cutting non-power conference schools off from some revenue opportunity as well. Fewer games to collect checks from power schools means a decrease in non-power conference revenue streams. The big conferences may not care about that impact though.
If nothing else, Scott’s on board with trying to improve the Pac-12 product, and that’s really all that he is supposed to be doing here.