The Pac-12 Conference today extended Commissioner Larry Scott's contract through the year 2016, and added options for further years.

"My fellow board members and I are delighted to have reached a long term agreement with the commissioner to continue his excellent work on behalf of the Pac-12," said Ed Ray, President of Oregon State University, and the Chairman of the Pac-12 Board.

"We are on the brink of a period of extraordinary accomplishment and excellence throughout the Pac-12 and Larry's continued leadership and vision for the conference are critical elements in realizing that potential."

Since Scott, 47, took over as Commissioner in July, 2009, he has guided the conference through their first expansion since 1978, which added Colorado and Utah, which facilitated the lucrative addition of a football conference championship game.

Scott has also orchestrated the rebranding of the Conference with messages of innovation, excellence, and the advantages of West Coast location at its core. He got equal revenue sharing of television revenue implemented, a first in Conference history, and secured the landmark media rights agreement with FOX and ESPN.

Scott also created the Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Digital Network, and is developing a globalization strategy that will allow the Conference to pursue new frontiers for athletic, academic and cultural exchanges in China, and eventually elsewhere in the Pacific Rim.

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The Pac-12 and the Big 10 announced today that they will collaborate on scheduling and network cross-promotion.

The move expands on the long standing Rose Bowl relationship between the two conferences.

For football, it will take a while, due to the already in place non-conference games various schools have contracts for. But by 2017, the conferences are expecting to have a full, 12 game schedule in place, where every Pac-12 school will play a game every year against a Big 10 school.

Oregon St. may not see a direct effect from this in football until 2019, as the Beavers already have a home and home with Minnesota scheduled for 2017 and 2018, which will probably not be altered, though there is room on the Beavers' 2015 and 2016 schedules for the possible addition of games against Big 10 opponents.

Inter-conference games could be added prior to 2017 where schedule openings exist, according to the conference's joint news release.

But a decade from now, home and home series like the one Oregon St. is currently in the middle of with Wisconsin, will become a regular feature.

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Dennis Erickson and Rick Neuheisel are almost out the door at Arizona St. UCLA, respectively. Almost, as in they will both be gone after coaching one more game.

After an impressive 6-2 start to the season, the Sun Devils dropped 4 straight games, including the Territorial Cup on their own field, and as a result, the Pac-12 South Division Championship that seemed to be a sure thing at the end of October. As a result, Athletic Director Lisa Love announced that Erickson will coach Arizona St. in their bowl game, and then begin to look for work. Erickson, 64, said he want's to coach again, dismissing speculation that he might just retire.

Erickson had a career record of 148-65-1 in his 18 years as a college coach, and had posted 9 win seasons at 5 different schools, including Oregon St., when he arrived in Tempe in 2007. And in his first year, Erickson posted a 10-3 record, which upped his count of schools he had led to at least 9 wins to 6, and earned him Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors. Erickson is one of only 3 coaches, along with Washington's Don James and USC's Pete Carroll, to ever be named Coach of the Year in the Conference 3 times.

But despite an 8-0 start, Arizona St. lost 3 of their last 5 games that year, and Erickson has not won more than 6 games in a year since. His record with the Sun Devils stands at 31-30, and unless he wins whatever bowl game Arizona St. gets to, very probably the Maaco Las Vegas Bowl, he will wind up as just a .500 coach in the desert, which was not sufficient in a market dominated by pro teams, and pro expectations.

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Not so long ago, the Pac-10 and Big 10 were the last places anyone would look for leadership in the area of how to handle the football post season, and really, anything. Times have changed, as the Big 10/11 is now 12, and has divisions, and a championship game, as well as a nationally significant network of its own. Out west, Larry Scott has arrived in Walnut Creek, where the Pac-12 offices are located. Two new members, divisional alignment, and an early December title game followed. Oh, and the biggest media contract in the history of college sports.

The changes implemented by the commissioners of two of the conferences of tradition of course are because the Presidents of the leagues recognized things had to change, and directed that it happened. Now, there's another indication of movement on the most contentious subject in college sports.

Pac-12 and Big 10 (+2) Athletic Directors, meeting in Newport Beach, CA, discussed various possible postseason football formats, including keeping things as they currently are, in a process to give input to the two conference commissioners, who will in turn meet with the commissioners from the other leagues to decide on possible changes to the BCS after 2014, when the current contract and TV deal ends.

The plan that received consensus support, outlined in yesterday's column by Bud Withers of the Seattle Times, calls for the addition of one bowl to the BCS circuit, most likely the Cotton Bowl, and qualifying two teams out of the current bowls for a plus one game that would determine the National Champion.

In return, the Pac-12 and Big 10 would preserve their match up in the Rose Bowl as an every year fixture, and the Rose Bowl facility would host the National Championship Game every fifth year.

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Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott today formally announced the formation of the Pac-12 Network, and for the first time, some of the details about how the network will be structured.

Pac-12 Networks, which will include a national network and six regional networks, in conjunction with four of the nation's largest cable operators: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks.

In addition to broadly distributing the Pac-12 Networks, the four cable operators are utilizing "iN DEMAND" to provide certain production and operations services to the Pac-12 Networks utilizing additional distribution technology. The content will continue to be wholly owned by the Pac-12 Conference.

The six regional networks will be established in Northern California, Southern California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Mountain regions (covering, but not exactly limited to Utah and Colorado)

Pac-12 Networks eventually will telecast a total of 850 live events annually, 350 on the national feed, and 500 on the regional feeds. The coverage will include every football game and every men's basketball game that isn't carried by national telecast partners. Additional events will include spring games football, and every sport played by Pac-12 programs including all conference championships.

The initial 4 partners will reach approximately 45 million homes nationwide, 23 million of which are served by Comcast, and 14 million by Time Warner. Bright House brings an additional 2 million, and Cox an additional 6 million.

This arrangement, aimed at the major metropolitan centers (Time Warner has a large presence in the LA area, while Comcast has a large share of the Bay Area, and significant penetration in the core areas of the Portland and Seattle markets), of course freezes out the majority of the footprint in Oregon and Washington, where Comcast can't be had at any price.

The expectation seems to be that further negotiations are underway that will get secondary coverage on the major satellite carriers, primarily Directv, and hopefully Dish Network. If you have Hughes net, don't hold your breath.

Comcast of course has over the years turned down millions of dollars rather than let Directv air their original content.

Fortunately, it is the Pac-12 that controls the rights, and may be able to achieve a deal, though Comcast, and to a degree Time Warner, will want to protect their investment and position in the market. To what degree the agreement with the Conference gives them any sway in further distribution is unknown, and likely to remain so.

Commissioner Scott, of course, will want a much wider audience than the 45 million the cable carriers reach, and owning the rights to three football games per week will give the conference considerable leverage with cable and satellite operators. This is why the Conference built the stockpile of football inventory by instituting the draft of games with the major carriers, Fox and ESPN.

The big loser in this would appear to be the Fox Regional Networks, and their spun-off regions that became Root Sports, which happens to include the Northwest and the Rocky Mountain area.

Keep watching in the weeks to come, as Scott continues to wheel and deal at an unprecedented pace.

Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com

Instead of reading through boring transcripts (We're looking at you, Jeff Tedford), I will post the best/most important quotes from each school. We took a look at the North Division earlier today, and now it's time for the South:

USC

Q. There was a lot made last year about motivating your team to play under the sanctions and no Bowl game and stuff like that. How do you find your experience this time around in the last year of your major sanctions?

COACH KIFFIN: I think weekly it doesn't matter that much. There is a lot of build-up before the season about no Bowl games and talk about it. But once you get going, you're in practices and you're walking down that Coliseum and getting ready to play, I really don't think they think much about that. Matt can talk more about that.

As I mentioned before, our guys come to USC to get a degree from a private university and to go to the NFL. That's still there for them, so none of that has changed.

MATT BARKLEY: Yeah, we're not thinking about the negative aspects of the season. We have so much going for us this year, so much talent and the special teams with the character and leadership that we have on this team. We're taking it one game at a time. Not worrying about that time right now. When it comes, we'll deal with it. But as of now Minnesota is on the game plan. That's our schedule. One game at a time, one week at a time, and that's what we're doing.

UCLA

Q. I know it's always overflowing. But I'm wondering, what do the Bruins have to do to get the fans excited to go into the Rose Bowl? Is it just a one number total --

COACH NEUHEISEL: Beat Houston. Yeah, because we play the next week against San Jose State. So if we can go on the road and beat Houston and do so in an impressive way, look like we're well-coached and a sound, fundamental football team, I think they'll come out the next week and be excited.

If we can find a way to win that one, the next one's against Texas. It can happen that fast. It doesn't take long to win back your constituency. They just want to know there is reason for your optimism. So, we just got to come out of the gate ready to play.

Q. How do you see the quarterback battle playing out going into camp?

COACH NEUHEISEL: Well, I'm anxious to see it played out at all. I do have an announcement to make with respect to Brett Hundley. Brett Hundley's going to undergo knee surgery on Wednesday. He's got a torn meniscus that will keep him out for three to maybe four weeks. Hopefully we'll have him for the second half of camp.

He hurt it playing basketball. But he'll be back before long, and I'm excited that he's had as much work as he's had prior to that, so that we at least know what we have when he does return to help.

But Kevin Prince is going to be back fully ready to go. He didn't participate in spring because of the rehabilitation of his knee that was surgically repaired last fall. So he and Richard Brehaut, Nick Crissman and Darius Bell are going to fight and scratch, and ultimately what we have to do is play the position well.

It makes no differences the name on the back of the jersey to me. What makes the difference to me is that the guy has all the intangibles that are necessary to play it well. One, intelligence, knows the situation, knows what is required of this particular situation. Two, has the ability to throw it to guys in the same colored jersey accurately, and, three, the team loves him and follows him.

Those are the kind of things that you need at that position, and our conference is full of them. It's time for UCLA to have that guy as well.

Q. Who do you expect to get the first reps going into fall camp, or first day of practice?

COACH NEUHEISEL: Who lines up with the first team?

Q. Yeah.

COACH NEUHEISEL: We'll flip a coin. How's that?

No, I think Kevin Prince will. I think Kevin Prince deserves it. He was the starter when he got hurt, and he'll get the first snap, and he needs more work because he didn't get spring football. But Richard will be right there. It will be a battle.

Arizona

Q. You seem to be the most emotional coach during games on the sideline?

COACH STOOPS: I disagree with that 100 percent.

Q. Well, you're the most amusing figure on the sideline. What is your reaction when you see photos or replays of yourself during games when you're totally into your craft?

COACH STOOPS: I'm like, that's not me. That's a different person. Nick will say it.

These guys are used to it. They don't even really acknowledge it much. They see it pretty much 365, 24/7. It's part of who I am. Sometimes I think it gets misportrayed. They don't see all the good things. My players know that and that is the great thing about being around these guys, and that's what I respect about these guys. Like I say, nobody sees all the good things. They want to make fun of you doing all these crazy other things, So I don't worry about it too much.

More quotes after the break

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Instead of reading through boring transcripts (We're looking at you, Jeff Tedford), I will post the best/most important quotes from each school. First, we start with the North Division:

Washington

Q. How much of the blueprint do you want to continue to follow from the final month of last year into the bowl game, relying on him and playing the defense?

COACH SARKISIAN: I love that blueprint. I think that when you're running the football and you're playing sound defense, you give yourself a chance in the fourth quarter to win games, and that's all you can ask for. This conference is so talented and so well-coached, that if we can just be in fourth quarters with games with a chance.

Washington State

Q. How difficult has it gotten since the Pacific Northwest -- you could probably put Oregon in there, but also Oregon State and even Washington -- with the improvement of those teams, how has it affected your recruiting?

COACH WULFF: You know, I don't know that it's affected it a whole lot. We've gone about our business of trying to recruit the type of person with the right DNA. When I say that, I mean from the neck up. We're looking for kids that have the great passion for the game, love the game, tough, they're a great person, and have that attitude and work ethic. Lot of time from the neck down, he might not be the most flashy guy all the time, but they're productive and great football players and they can help you build a team.

Oregon

Q. Regardless what the findings may yield, there have been some recruits and I've read reports that express concerns about potential sanctions and stuff like that. To what extent has that become an issue that you've had to address in recruiting?

COACH KELLY: I haven't had to address it with the recruits right now. We're coming off back-to-back Pac-10 championships as we move into a brand-new league with a brand-new television contract, it's a bright future for us. We had a berth in the Rose Bowl, we had a berth in the National Championship Game. And I understand from the kids we've talked to, our recruit something going very, very well.

More quotes after the break

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Today marks the first ever Pac-12 Media Day, with the addition of Colorado and Utah to the fold.

Starting at 9 AM with Commissioner Larry Scott's opening remarks, each team's head coach and a featured player will meet the media, starting with California Coach Jeff Tedford and wide receiver Marvin Jones, giving football fans up and down the Pacific and now the Mountain time zones their first official taste of football talk.

Safety Lance MItchell will join Oregon State coach Mike Riley. The Beaver contingent is up third, at approx. 9:35, following Oregon coach Chip Kelly and tight end David Paulson.

The Pac-12 Northern Division schools will comprise the first half of the program. After a break at apprx. 10:35, the Pac-12 Southern Division schools will have their turn, starting with Arizona coach Mike Stoops and quarterback Nick Foles. The teams' representatives will speak in alphabetical order within their divisions.

The order for the day is:

9:00 a.m. PT	Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott's Opening Remarks
9:05 a.m. PT	CAL Coach Jeff Tedford/WR Marvin Jones
9:20 a.m. PT	ORE Coach Chip Kelly/TE David Paulsen
9:35 a.m. PT	OSU Coach Mike Riley/S Lance Mitchell
9:50 a.m. PT	STAN Coach David Shaw/QB Andrew Luck
10:05 a.m. PT	WASH Coach Steve Sarkisian/RB Chris Polk
10:20 a.m. PT	WSU Coach Paul Wulff/WR Jared Karstetter
10:35 a.m. PT	BREAK
10:45 a.m. PT	ARIZ Coach Mike Stoops/QB Nick Foles
11:00 a.m. PT	ASU Coach Dennis Erickson/QB Brock Osweiler
11:15 a.m. PT	COLO Coach Jon Embree/QB Tyler Hansen
11:30 a.m. PT	UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel/RB Johnathan Franklin
11:45 a.m. PT	USC Coach Lane Kiffin/QB Matt Barkley
12:00 p.m. PT	UTAH Coach Kyle Whittingham/OT Tony Bergstrom
12:15 p.m. PT	Interview Session Concludes

Pac-12.org will have a free live webcast, hosted by Gus Johnson and Charles Davis.

Here are the quotes from the Oregon St. session.

Here is the video replay of Coach Riley and Lance.

Individual interviews with media members followed.

Once they wind up in Los Angeles, the coaches will join the Commissioner as they head east to New York City, and, similar to last year, on to ESPN Headquarters in Bristol, Conn., for the second part of the media tour. Coaches will have the opportunity to address east coast media, and then will visit the ESPN campus for additional media contact opportunities.

Segments with various coaches will appear on ESPNU, Gameday, Sportscenter, College Football Live (on tape), and SportsNation.

Jump in with your impressions as we discuss the day's questions and answers.

Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com