Pac-12 hires MGM's George Kliavkoff to replace Larry Scott as commissioner

[Not Sure]

DTV was important ten years ago. Not so much now. I really like his ideas around scheduling. They could spread the non-con games throughout the year to make some of those TV matchups more appealing, too.

 

[ahoelsken]

DTV was important ten years ago. Not so much now. I really like his ideas around scheduling. They could spread the non-con games throughout the year to make some of those TV matchups more appealing, too.

Proof is going to be in the pudding. Sir Lawrence said a lot of things a decade ago that we all went gaga for.

 

[Not Sure]

Proof is going to be in the pudding. Sir Lawrence said a lot of things a decade ago that we all went gaga for.

Of course, but if he can get that scheduling arrangement out in place, it would be great on several levels. It would take a lot of pressure off of ADs to fill. On-con schedules, and would provide for what amounts to at least a dozen additional marquee matchups spread throughout the year.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

This is the quote that stuck out to me the most. The single biggest boon for the conference, and ultimately CU, would be for the group of Pac 12 Presidents and Chancellors to be "sold" on this concept and collectively agree that they are going to put their full backing into athletic excellence just as they strive for academic excellence.

For me, the biggest single issue is an ongoing effort on investing in football. The work of convincing our presidents and chancellors that there is very good return on investment when you invest in football was started by me before I started the job in my press conference when I was announced. I’ve had one board meeting in November, and it was on the agenda, and it will be on the agenda at every board meeting going forward. I think there’s an easy case to make. I don’t think it’s heavy lifting. You invest in football facilities and coaches and other football-related matters and that leads to higher-touted recruits, and that leads to wins, and wins lead to direct and indirect revenue. It certainly leads to significantly increased alumni engagement, and I think historically it leads to increased applications, which results in more selective admissions processes and higher ratings for the schools. The return on the investment in football is just undeniable, and I don’t think we have anyone in our organizations that doesn’t agree with that.

 

[leftybuff]

This is the quote that stuck out to me the most. The single biggest boon for the conference, and ultimately CU, would be for the group of Pac 12 Presidents and Chancellors to be "sold" on this concept and collectively agree that they are going to put their full backing into athletic excellence just as they strive for academic excellence.

I have to conclude Dr. Phil missed that first meeting....

 

[DBT]

DTV was important ten years ago. Not so much now. I really like his ideas around scheduling. They could spread the non-con games throughout the year to make some of those TV matchups more appealing, too.

You may not think DTV is important now and, in the overall scheme it probably isn’t. But it’s a big deal to me. I can only get the Pac on Dish or a streaming service. But I can’t get the Avs, Nuggets or Rockies on Dish but can on DirecTV. I can’t get the Buffs and all the local pro teams on any single provider. I’d have to have at least two separate providers. It sucks.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

You may not think DTV is important now and, in the overall scheme it probably isn’t. But it’s a big deal to me. I can only get the Pac on Dish or a streaming service. But I can’t get the Avs, Nuggets or Rockies on Dish but can on DirecTV. I can’t get the Buffs and all the local pro teams on any single provider. I’d have to have at least two separate providers. It sucks.

Poor DBT

 

[DBT]

Poor DBT

Life’s not fair!

 

[Agent Dave Kujan]

I also think, if we look statistically at underlying youth and high school football participation rates over the last decade or so, those have dropped more significantly on the West Coast than they have in the Southeast or the Midwest or almost anywhere else in the country, and those are our primary recruiting territories. That’s a long-term issue that we have to deal with and figure out how to work around.

We have to be better about keeping our four- and five-stars in our footprint at our schools, and we have to be better about recruiting out of territory, particularly in my opinion offensive and defensive linemen. I watched a lot of nonconference games this year, and I think we need bigger, stronger, faster kids on our lines to compete nationally. And that will require some expansion of our current recruiting territories.

The guy gets it

 

[Buffnik]

I also think, if we look statistically at underlying youth and high school football participation rates over the last decade or so, those have dropped more significantly on the West Coast than they have in the Southeast or the Midwest or almost anywhere else in the country, and those are our primary recruiting territories. That’s a long-term issue that we have to deal with and figure out how to work around.

We have to be better about keeping our four- and five-stars in our footprint at our schools, and we have to be better about recruiting out of territory, particularly in my opinion offensive and defensive linemen. I watched a lot of nonconference games this year, and I think we need bigger, stronger, faster kids on our lines to compete nationally. And that will require some expansion of our current recruiting territories.

Translation: I'm pushing to expand into Texas.

 

[Not Sure]

Translation: I'm pushing to expand into Texas.

I think you look at everything through the lens of conference expansion. I didn’t read that into his comments at all.

 

[Buffnik]

I think you look at everything through the lens of conference expansion. I didn’t read that into his comments at all.

Not sure how else you expand the footprint of the conference unless you actually expand the footprint.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Not sure how else you expand the footprint of the conference unless you actually expand the footprint.

Not to mention his comments about the time slots with scheduling. The Pac 12 will never get prime exposure, outside of an elite USC program, unless they can consistently play in the CTZ

 

[Denver_sc]

This is the quote that stuck out to me the most. The single biggest boon for the conference, and ultimately CU, would be for the group of Pac 12 Presidents and Chancellors to be "sold" on this concept and collectively agree that they are going to put their full backing into athletic excellence just as they strive for academic excellence.

Jesus **** there might actually be someone in charge who gets it.

 

[CarolinaBuff]

Jesus **** there might actually be someone in charge who gets it.

Yea but now the problem is getting the university presidents to go all in on football. I don't see that happening except for maybe 3 or 4 schools which are already there (USC, Oregon, Utah, maybe UW)

 

[SINKRATZ]

Not to mention his comments about the time slots with scheduling. The Pac 12 will never get prime exposure, outside of an elite USC program, unless they can consistently play in the CTZ

I sort of don’t understand the time zone problem here. The NFL doesn’t have this issue with teams on the west coast.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

I sort of don’t understand the time zone problem here. The NFL doesn’t have this issue with teams on the west coast.

The NFL starts games at 1pm ET, not Noon ET and the vast majority of games actually being played on the West Coast are in the 4-4:30 ET slot

 

[CarolinaBuff]

I sort of don’t understand the time zone problem here. The NFL doesn’t have this issue with teams on the west coast.

The NFL has set timeslots and the vast majority of their games are played in 2 timeslots on Sunday so everyone gets regional exposure at the very least, plus even the teams who aren't expected to be good each yet get slotted for 1 or 2 primetime games (Sun night, Mon, Thu). It's also hard to compare because the NFL has an antiquated system in place where they protect home markets so you're always going to get your home market team, but at the same time they will put the league's best teams and most meaningful games in a Sunday afternoon window where about 80-90% of the country will get that game.

 

[Not Sure]

Not sure how else you expand the footprint of the conference unless you actually expand the footprint.

Except he doesn’t say anything about expanding the footprint. He says we have to do better recruiting outside of our footprint. I don’t think anybody would disagree with that.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

Just birth em bigger in Cali going forward, duh

Football participation in Cali has declined I believe for 5 years in a row. That in the shadow of overall prep participation actually INCREASED in California.

 

[SINKRATZ]

The NFL starts games at 1pm ET, not Noon ET and the vast majority of games actually being played on the West Coast are in the 4-4:30 ET slot

Yeah but is the problem really about time zones or is it that the product stinks? If people wanted to watch Pac12 football the networks would put them in better time slots. Admittedly I don’t fully understand all that goes into this, but seems like no one is forcing the Pac12 to play games at 8pm pacific time on their own network.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Yeah but is the problem really about time zones or is it that the product stinks? If people wanted to watch Pac12 football the networks would put them in better time slots. Admittedly I don’t fully understand all that goes into this, but seems like no one is forcing the Pac12 to play games at 8pm pacific time on their own network.

Yes, the product is definitely problem A, but problem B is that no conference games for the P12 are played outside of the Pacific and Mountain Time Zones, and there’s no chance a game is going to be played at 9 or 10am local time, so it eliminates one of the prime national time slots for the conference, leaving only the 330 and 7pm ET slots that, at current, are mostly being occupied by Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.

 

[hokiehead]

Yes, the product is definitely problem A, but problem B is that no conference games for the P12 are played outside of the Central and Mountain Time Zones, and there’s no chance a game is going to be played at 9 or 10am local time, so it eliminates one of the prime national time slots for the conference, leaving only the 330 and 7pm ET slots that, at current, are mostly being occupied by Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.

1. Central and Pacific Time Zones
2. I wouldn't go so far as to say "no chance" of playing 9 or 10AM local games. if Fox's analysis says, for example, a USC - Stanford game would be a good fit for their Big Noon slot, I think the conference and those schools would be open to it. It's not like many fans show up in person at those schools' games anyway.
[EDIT] 2.a. just last year, UU @ CU was played at 11AM MT. the extra hour doesn't seem a huge stretch
[EDIT] 2.b. ASU @ USC in 2020 was a 9AM PT kickoff

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

1. Central and Pacific Time Zones
2. I wouldn't go so far as to say "no chance" of playing 9 or 10AM local games. if Fox's analysis says, for example, a USC - Stanford game would be a good fit for their Big Noon slot, I think the conference and those schools would be open to it. It's not like many fans show up in person at those schools' games anyway.
[EDIT] 2.a. just last year, UU @ CU was played at 11AM MT. the extra hour doesn't seem a huge stretch

Sorry, my mistake w the time zones. Pacific and Mountain TZ is what I meant. The extra hour is pretty big and schools and conferences fight that pretty hard

 

[skibum]

Sorry, my mistake w the time zones. Pacific and Mountain TZ is what I meant. The extra hour is pretty big and schools and conferences fight that pretty hard

Yeah - the schools generally get to keep 100% of stadium revenues. And stadium revenues are going to be much lower at 10am, not to mention the bitching and moaning from the fans. So unless you're paying bonus tv money to individual schools when they get stuck with an early time slot, very few will be interested.

 

[SINKRATZ]

Yes, the product is definitely problem A, but problem B is that no conference games for the P12 are played outside of the Pacific and Mountain Time Zones, and there’s no chance a game is going to be played at 9 or 10am local time, so it eliminates one of the prime national time slots for the conference, leaving only the 330 and 7pm ET slots that, at current, are mostly being occupied by Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.

Why is there no chance games would be played at 10am local? I would think teams and the conference would prefer that all day long over playing at 8pm local, especially if it means it’s on a network other than Pac12. If we’re not getting exposure because the conference refuses to play games at 10am then that’s a monumental mistake.

It seems to me the problem is that there are only so many games that can be aired in good time slots on good networks and the Pac12 product isn’t compelling enough and our media deal doesn’t have enough prime slots allocated.

Im still failing to see how being in certain time zones makes really any difference at all. Why could all our games be played either at 10am PT or 1:00 PT?

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Why is there no chance games would be played at 10am local? I would think teams and the conference would prefer that all day long over playing at 8pm local, especially if it means it’s on a network other than Pac12. If we’re not getting exposure because the conference refuses to play games at 10am then that’s a monumental mistake.

It seems to me the problem is that there are only so many games that can be aired in good time slots on good networks and the Pac12 product isn’t compelling enough and our media deal doesn’t have enough prime slots allocated.

Im still failing to see how being in certain time zones makes really any difference at all. Why could all our games be played either at 10am PT or 1:00 PT?

Utah and Colorado are the only programs who would play at 10am local. Every other Pac 12 program would be subject to 9am local. That's a non starter especially for the conference's marquee matchup that would even be in consideration for a national spot.

 

[SINKRATZ]

Utah and Colorado are the only programs who would play at 10am local. Every other Pac 12 program would be subject to 9am local. That's a non starter especially for the conference's marquee matchup that would even be in consideration for a national spot.

Huh? What is preventing USC/Cal from playing at 10am PT? Or 12:00PT? Why is it better for that game to be at 8:00pm?

 

[SewallBeach]

Living outside of the footprint, the major issues with DTV IMO is that just about every bar has DTV so they can get Sunday ticket. This makes it impossible to find a place to watch a P12 game in public, and eliminates the opportunity to get new viewers who are watching whatever’s on at the bar.

For context: I live near Dallas and I haven't been able to find a single bar that has the P12 network since March. And I look often.

 

[hokiehead]

it was a late edit to my post above, but ASU @ USC in 2020 was a 9AM PT kickoff.

I honestly don't see what the major objections to a 9AM or 10AM kickoff are. I'd personally love it as a fan that enjoys attending games as it gives me the entire afternoon and evening for other activities.

also, the Arizona schools could fit into a 12PM ET kickoff with a 10AM start for the first half of the season.