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The conference is continuing its transformation, maintaining its forward-thinking commish and a new TV network.
The Pac-12 Network is getting ready to start putting together their own network. The television enterprises are expected to be revolutionary for a college conference, as the conference owns the rights to the entire network and will also be distributed to most of the country. The Pac-12 Network plans to showcase 850 sporting events and get launched by August 2012.
The Pac-12 has chosen San Francisco as the place where they'll put their studios this year, and they're all set to break ground. The ceremony will take place next week.
WHO: Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott, Pac-12 Enterprises President Gary Stevenson, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Kilroy Realty Corporation President and CEO John Kilroy, Former Pac-12 Athletes Jennifer Azzi (Stanford women’s basketball), Ronnie Lott (USC football), Marshawn Lynch (Cal football), Kim Oden (Stanford women’s volleyball), JT Snow (Arizona baseball) and Cal Women’s Swimming Coach and U.S. Olympic Swimming Coach Teri McKeever
WHAT: Will begin the construction of the Pac-12 Studios by putting up the first wall in Studio 1 and doing demolition work on another wall. MATT Construction is the General Contractor, HLW is the architect and Diversified Systems is the Integrator.
WHY: The Pac-12 Studios will be home to the Pac-12 Network and the Pac-12 Digital Network. The Pac-12 Network will showcase 850 live Pac-12 sporting events each year as well as original studio programming. It is scheduled to launch in August, 2012.
WHEN: Monday, February 13 at 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: 370 Third Street, Third Floor San Francisco, CA 94107
To discuss the Pac-12 in general, head on over to Pacific Takes.
Per a conference press release, the Pac-12 has made a decision to lock up current conference commissioner Larry Scott. Scott now has a contract to remain commissioner through 2016, with options to add additional years. He took over his positions in 2009 and has since done very big things for the athletic conference.
During his first two years, Scott orchestrated a rebranding of the Conference with messages of innovation, excellence, and the advantages of West Coast location at its core, and led it through expansion for the first time since 1978. His leadership efforts helped deliver equal revenue sharing for the first time in Conference history, secure a landmark media rights agreement with FOX and ESPN and led to the creation of the Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Digital Network. Most recently, Scott has developed a globalization initiative that will allow the Conference to pursue new frontiers for the member institutions. The initiative has started with the Pac-12 exploring athletic, academic and cultural exchanges in China.
He is the sixth commissioner of the conference, which changed its name from the Pac-10 to the Pac-12 last year when they added Utah and Colorado to the conference. Arizona State University and the University of Arizona are part of the conference.
He previously served six years as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour (Women's Tennis Association), where he helped generate unprecedented growth and popularity for women's professional tennis on a global scale.
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Pac-12 Studios Break Ground In San Francisco
The Pac-12 studios have been a work in progress the past few years ever since Larry Scott became commissioner. Scott has wanted a network to become the main distributor of the conference and showcase the best of the West to the rest of the country.
The conference took the first step this afternoon to putting together a network for the Pac-12 to follow. Here are the quotes from the latest press release.
WALNUT CREEK, CALIF. – Pac-12 Enterprises, the diversified and
integrated content and media company of the Pac-12 Conference, has
officially begun construction on the Pac-12 Studios, it’s soon-to-be
headquarters in downtown San Francisco, it was announced today. The
project is scheduled to be completed in the summer.
Located at 370 Third Street in the technology-rich SOMA district, the
Pac-12 Studios will serve as the headquarters and operations hub for
the new Pac-12 Networks, the Pac-12 Digital Network and Pac-12
Properties, the sponsorship, licensing and events management arm for
the Conference. The new venture will bring more than 100 new jobs to
San Francisco this year.
“This represents another groundbreaking moment for a Conference that
is steeped in tradition and history and has enjoyed more success than
any collegiate conference in the country,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry
Scott said. “There may be concrete at our feet, but the foundation for
the Pac-12 Studios is being built on the success and excellence of our
programs and our dynamic student-athletes. We love the vibrancy of
being in San Francisco and believe it will be very conducive to the
environment we envision. It’s very exciting.”
“San Francisco is a perfect intersection of sports, entertainment and
technology, and I am thrilled by the Pac-12 decision to base their
operations here, demonstrating once again that San Francisco is
attracting an incredible mix of talent and industry from across the
nation,” San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee said. “Pac-12 Enterprises
will not only have access to the best and brightest creative talent
for their staff here but they will also tap into the City’s innovative
culture and entrepreneurial spirit as they grow their media company
and innovate their business model.”
The Pac-12 Network is on its way, and should be ready to go by this fall.
To talk about the Pac-12 in general, go to Pacific Takes.
Feb 13 3:09p by Avinash Kunnath