The Pac-12 is 15 days from launching its new network, commissioner Larry Scott announced at Pac-12 Media Day last Tuesday.
The network will be comprised of one national network and six regional networks that will be dedicated solely to Pac-12 sports. The league will also launch a digital network that will be accessible to fans via the web, mobile devices, televisions with Internet connections and gaming consoles.
“The idea is Pac-12 content, anywhere, anytime, by any device,” Scott said. “This is going to be a major innovation and a new and exciting development in the world of college sports, the first conference to completely own and control its own network.”
Starting August 15, the entire country will be able to see Pac-12 sporting events on a regular basis, something that the SEC already accomplished with their own conference network, which is run by ESPN, as well as the University of Texas’ Longhorn Network.
The elevation in exposure gives fans more access to their favorite teams, while providing potential players with the incentive of playing on television which will aid coaches in recruiting.
For example, every Pac-12 team will be featured at least once on the Pac-12 Network through the first four weeks of the football season, with Arizona starring when the Wildcats take on Oklahoma State and South Carolina State on September 8 and 15, respectively.
“The launching of the linear TV networks and the digital networks means more live sports, more Pac-12 championships, and connecting fans with their favorite teams,” Scott said. “The impact on our universities and student-athletes will be great.”
At Media Day, Gary Stevenson, the Chief Executive of Pac-12 Media Enterprises, announced the lineup of shows and current on-air talent. In addition to the conference championship game to be played in December, “Pac-12 Football Encore” will replay the top 10 games from the 2011 season.
In addition, all 79 home games from last season will be replayed in 60-minute formats. The network plans on having the pregame, halftime and postgame shows for regular season games broadcast from their studios in downtown San Francisco, Calif.
In the spring, the network will be sending crews to every Pac-12 campus to document and follow spring football.
“It will be a busy year for us, and we are delighted,” Stevenson said. “Our talent will go a long way in branding our network, so we searched high and low to find the professionals who have lived and experienced our brand over their careers.”
Only one member of the on-air talent is an Arizona alumnus: Glenn Parker was an All-Pac-10 lineman in 1989 before being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 1990 NFL Draft.
