Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott visited the U Thursday evening to meet with administrators and tour the newly dedicated football facility before the UCLA game.
Scott was impressed with not only the facility, but also the excitement and buzz surrounding Utah’s entire athletic program. Scott also met with athletic director Chris Hill to discuss the plans for the U’s new basketball facility.
“I’m very impressed with what’s been done so far,” Scott says. “I think it makes a big statement about the commitment and the seriousness Utah brings to the conference. They’re expected to be on par with any other program in this conference and I think it’s going to pay real dividends it terms of recruits and in terms of the signal that it sends.”
Scott says Utah’s integration into the Pac-12 has gone smoothly both academically and culturally, adding that he feels that the Utes are taking the necessary steps to achieve athletic success.
“Over time we know [Utah] will have its share of success. What I see is improvement in all areas and it’s natural that adjustments take time to happen. The investments that need to be made, they’re being made,” he says.
NCAA rules changing to benefit student athletes
Scott says the NCAA is in the process of making several important policy changes, including increasing stipends for student athletes. He discussed the changes in Chicago last week with other conference commissioners. Hill says he supports discovering new ways to assist athletes, especially as Utah starts to find its place within the Pac-12.
“The big conferences, we want to support student athletes more than we’ve been able to do,” Hill says. “I think we’ll get some movement of some of those things that are most important to student athletes, and we’re not just talking about doing things for football players.”
Hill believes that all Pac-12 schools will be able to handle the changes without having to cut any sports, adding that it’s one of the NCAA’s highest priorities.
“The fact that some of the scholarship rules haven’t been tweaked since the 1970s, we feel is a little out of whack,” Hill says.
Pac-12 Football earning more comparison to SEC
The Pac-12 is receiving more national media attention and is increasingly being compared to the college football powerhouse that is the SEC. Hill says the newfound attention is due to increased media coverage on the Pac-12 networks.
Oregon and Stanford have played in BCS bowl games for the past three years, and several other Pac-12 teams were among the nation’s top 25 throughout the year. This year is shaping up to be largely the same.
Scott also says that success against non-conference opponents has played a large role in garnering national respect.
“Probably more important than having two teams in the top five, is the fact that we had the winningest non-conference record of any conference,” Scott says. “We also had the strongest non-conference schedule of any conference. Those two things together make people say, ‘OK, the Pac-12 is the real deal.’”