Sounds like someone -- Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott -- has been taking the hint.
In a phone conversation with the New York Times, Scott said that he plans to spend a few days in China with various officials to outline a “road map” for an expanded Pac-12 presence in the country.
At it’s core, it’s an attempt to globalize the member institutions to “lead to recruitment of future students and positive cultural experiences for their athletes who travel there.”
But, to expand, Scott’s plan is to add games overseas, including, but not limited to, football.
“It’s an emerging market educationally as well as athletically. It seems to me that international strategy is good for Stanford and the Pac-12 universities in general. All of them, especially along the West Coast, are heavily engaged in the Pacific Rim.” said Stanford’s athletic director Bob Bowlsby.
Scott said he expected the Pac-12 to play games in China in the next three to five years. Pac-12 Networks may be able to broadcast the games as well. Although Notre Dame and Stanford have discussed playing their 2013 football game in China, the Pac-12 could start with something more culturally relevant like basketball.