Larry Scott: Pac-12's postseason struggles are 'somewhat cyclical'

SCOTTSDALE — During their annual meetings this week, Pac-12 administrators and coaches dove into the weeds of schedule science, football safety, revenue streams and recommendations from the Commission on College Basketball.

But there’s also that little detail that they can’t quite fix in the boardrooms alone: winning.

The league is without a national champion in either men’s basketball or football since 2004, when USC won the football crown. The Pac-12 failed to put a football team in the College Football Playoff last season and had just three basketball teams make the NCAA Tournament in March — and all three bombed out before the second round.

“No doubt we were disappointed in postseason basketball, the number of teams we got in and how they did,” Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said Thursday. “This year was down but the year before was one of our best. We had three Sweet 16 teams and Oregon made the Final Four. I think these things are somewhat cyclical.

“I tend to look at the temperature of our room and (among coaches) there was no concern about the long-term trajectory.”

Scott similarly defended the conference’s record in football, which has included only two CFP appearances — Oregon in 2014-15 and Washington in 2016-17 — in four seasons.

“Of course we want a team in the playoff every year but I look at our programs and the flavor of our conversation, and we’re very, very confident in our football,” Scott said. “You see some of the coaches that we attract – Chip (Kelly, new UCLA coach) could have gone anywhere but he chooses the Pac-12. (UW’s) Chris Petersen, (Stanford’s) David Shaw, some of our new coaches are great. You watch the NFL Draft and we had four of the top 15 draft picks.

“So there’s no question about the quality of the talent and the quality of the coaches. Some of these things are a little bit fickle, about whether you win a game, don’t win a game.”

While noting that the Pac-12’s frequent late-night football kickoffs aren’t going away, thanks to the parameters set by the conference’s $3 billion media rights deal, Scott said the meetings demonstrated the conference’s “healthy” relationship with partners ESPN and Fox.

As evidence, Scott pointed to an appearance this week by ESPN analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Brock Huard. In a discussion that drew national attention, Herbstreit responded last October to Petersen’s complaints about late kickoffs for the Huskies by noting that the Pac-12 “should be thanking” ESPN for having a relationship.

“He kind of got into it with Coach Pete and it just shows you the quality of the relationship,” Scott said. “Everyone who was involved in that, if they had a redo, would have handled it differently.”

Scott said he tries to work with Fox and ESPN to limit late games if a team such as the Huskies are slammed with evening kickoffs, but that the media rights deal has no limits on night games. As a result, television partners have the ultimate leverage.

UA coach Kevin Sumlin, meanwhile, says he’s OK with whatever evening games the Wildcats get.

“It’s an opportunity for us across the country to get that kind of exposure and viewership,” Sumlin said. “The 7 o’clock window has gotten big viewership across the country. … It’s what happens. Television and the networks drive kickoff times.”

Of all the recommendations in the Rice Commission report on college basketball, Scott said the push to allow players to return to school if they are not taken in the NBA Draft could cause immediate headaches for coaches.

Such a rule would require a coach to hold open a roster spot until late June in case that player returns, which could further make spring recruiting more challenging. As it is now, players have until the end of May to decide, as UA’s Rawle Alkins did last spring before returning.

“It’s going to kind of wreak havoc,” Scott said. “That scholarship is precious in terms of who you might offer it to. Everyone knows the principle of what we’re trying to do but the detail, the timing, is something we’re going to have to work through.”

The NCAA could vote to approve some changes in August as soon as the 2018-19 season, but Scott said he thought other changes such as remaking the summer recruiting circuit could take longer. Currently, apparel companies sponsor many of the top recruiting showcases but the commission recommended having combines that were run by the NCAA, NBA and USA Basketball.

Overall, Scott said he supported the commission’s recommendations, which largely mirrored that of the conference’s own task force. He also backed its notion of amateurism, even as it led swimming star Katie Ledecky to quit Stanford’s team after two seasons so she could pursue endorsement and sponsorship opportunities.

“People have a choice. If they really want to be professional and earn money they can do that. If they prefer everything that comes with a student-athlete, they’ve got that,” Scott said.

Scott said there was “great discussion” this week among Pac-12 basketball coaches over whether to expand to from 18 to 20 games and also whether to ditch the conference’s traditional travel partners entirely.

Scott said the Pac-12 would stick with the travel partner model at least for the near future but noted that the recent prevalence of television-dictated Wednesday-Saturday and Thursday-Sunday weekend splits has reduced the “efficiency” of the travel partner model.

Washington’s basketball team could be among the Pac-12 favorites next season, especially if forward Noah Dickerson decides to return to school.

“We’ve got a good team, but the league is tough,” coach Mike Hopkins said. “There’s so many good teams and so many good coaches and now it’s our responsibility to build that. So many teams had young teams and freshmen last season.”

The fact that Dickerson was not invited to the 60-player NBA combine could be a sign he’ll return to the Huskies. Another possible sign: That Dickerson is still opening books these days.

“He’s working hard in the classroom,” Hopkins said. “A lot of times when guys put their name in the draft, they start to shift a little bit. But we just want what’s best for him. Hopefully he’ll feel really good about what his decision is.”