Changes are coming to the Pac-12 Athletic Director council, and Arizona’s Dave Heeke will be in charge of that council moving forward!
Tired of hearing about the failings of Larry Scott and the Pac-12? We are too, and hopefully it’ll soon be a thing of the past, once Arizona Athletic Director Dave Heeke becomes the leader of the Pac-12 Athletic Director council.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, the Pac-12 and its commissioner Larry Scott have seemingly been in the news quite a bit lately, and not for good reasons.
Arizona Wildcats
Too much on his plate? Too narcissistic? Who knows, and I’m sure there are plenty of excuses to go around for the shortcomings of the conference, but nonetheless, not much has been done.
Previously, Scott had gone solo, and for years, it was like watching a baby make a mess, while the parents stood by, watching haphazardly.
However, once it was revealed of Scott’s excessive spending, poor reputation of the conference officiating, bad football/basketball starting times, disappointing income from media rights and a failing conference network, it was time to someone intervene.
Luckily, his “leadership” will now be replaced by the AD Council as well as the school presidents. On Sunday, it was announced that Heeke will lead that council!
Before, Scott had huge support from Arizona State president Michael Crow and Oregon State president Ed Ray. Thank goodness their influence is being minimized and real change is happening!
While the road ahead is a long one, and there will be many wrongs to be righted, this is a great, first step in the right direction for the conference.
As it stands, the Pac-12 will first conduct an external review of men’s and women’s basketball officiating in addition to football, as Ben Bolch reported of the LA Times.
Scott’s contract still unfortunately runs until the end of 2022. Perhaps then the conference can make some more, positive changes!
At Zona Zealots, we’re excited for Heeke and the challenges he faces! Hopefully, he and the other conference Athletic Directors can restore our faith in the conference! Bear Down, Arizona!