Isaiah Thomas To Enter His Name Into NBA Draft

SEATTLE – Washington junior guard Isaiah Thomas has decided to enter his name into the upcoming NBA Draft. The two-time first team All-Pac-10 member issued the following statement:

 

“Although it was a tough decision, I have decided to forego my senior season and enter my name into this year’s NBA draft.  At this time I will not hire an agent.  Over the past 3 years I've enjoyed every single minute of my Washington Husky career.  I am very thankful to have played for a great coach like Coach Romar and our entire coaching staff. I have just over two quarter left to earn my degree, and I fully plan on finishing school. Also, I would like to take the time to thank all of my teammates and Husky fans for their support and the unforgettable memories.  Go Dawgs!”

 

Coach Lorenzo Romar, who is in Houston for the NCAA Final Four, issued the following statement:

 

“Isaiah Thomas has had an unbelievable impact on our program during his time with us. We will definitely miss him, but we are behind him in his quest to fulfill a lifelong dream to play in the NBA.”

 

Thomas (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis HS/South Kent Prep [Conn.]), an honorable mention Associated Press All-American after averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 assists per game for the Huskies during their 2010-11 campaign, led the Pac-10 in assists, ranked fourth in scoring, 8th in steals (1.3 spg) and 8th in three-point makes per game (1.7). His 213 assists are the second most in UW single-season history.

Thomas helped the Huskies to their second-consecutive Pac-10 tournament championship and a 24-11 overall record. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the conference tournament for a second time, joining Arizona's Sean Elliott as the only two-time winner.

Thomas also led Washington with 15.5 points and 7.5 assists in the Huskies two NCAA tournament games.

Thomas ended his junior season ranked among the Huskies all-time leader in points (1,721/6th), assists (415/3rd), 3-point makes (164/3rd) and steals (122/8th). 

 

 

Tyler Honeycutt Declares For NBA draft

By Victoria Sun 
FOXSportsWest.com

The UCLA men's basketball team lost one of its key contributors on Monday when Tyler Honeycutt announced he would be turning pro.

The Los Angeles native said he made up his mind Sunday after talking with his family, advisors and coaches.

"We finished out on a good year, for the most part I finished strong and I'm pretty hot right now and I feel this year being considered a weak draft is a good reason to leave," Honeycutt said via a teleconference Monday afternoon. "The biggest factor that would keep me from going is the team next year and how good we could be.

"We could be a great team, but I feel like what's best for me is to leave this year."

Honeycutt averaged 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a sophomore this season for the Bruins. The 6-foot-8 forward led or tied for the team lead in rebounding in 10 games and shot 36.2 percent from 3-point range.

foxsportswest.com: Tyler Honeycutt Declares For NBA Draft

UCLA Pauley Pavilion Original Center Court Jump Circle Up For Auction

Laguna Niguel, Calif. (March 16, 2011) -- One of the most important pieces of basketball history ever offered at public auction, the original (1965-82) UCLA Pauley Pavilion center court section (jump circle), will be part of an internet auction presented by SCP Auctions, it was announced.  Bidding will be open to registered bidders on www.scpauctions.com on Friday, April 15 and conclude on Saturday, April 30. 

Measuring 12 feet in diameter, this original round section of the Pauley Pavilion court was ground zero for one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports for 17 seasons. Home to UCLA athletic teams since 1965, the original court was the home of eight NCAA men’s national championship teams and the Bruins’ first women’s NCAA national championship team in 1978.

Since its replacement in 1982, the original Pauley Pavilion jump circle has been carefully preserved in storage. In 1998, it was displayed as the centerpiece for an event held in Pauley Pavilion, attended by the legendary coach John Wooden and dozens of former UCLA greats, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Sidney Wicks and Walt Hazzard. Wooden and each of the players in attendance signed the original jump circle, knowing it would later be sold at auction by a UCLA alum that chooses to remain anonymous. A large portion of the proceeds from the sale will be dedicated to funding medical research.

The first basketball game played at Pauley Pavilion was Nov. 27, 1965. In the scrimmage, the Bruins’ varsity team, led by guard Mike Warren, lost to an amazing freshman squad featuring Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who came to UCLA in large part due to the construction of a new arena.

In the decades that followed, some of the top names in the history of college basketball, including Walton, Wicks, Marques Johnson, Ann Meyers, Denise Curry and Pete Maravich, and coaches such as Wooden, Dean Smith and Denny Crum, graced the court at Pauley.

Nothing enhanced Pauley's reputation as arguably the nation's most famous collegiate sporting venue more than the tenure of Wooden. “The Wizard of Westwood” as Wooden was known, built an incomparable basketball dynasty at UCLA against which all others are compared, and usually pale. His UCLA teams won 10 national championships in a 12-season stretch from 1964 to 1975. This court was home to 8 of those 10 UCLA titles under Coach Wooden including 7 consecutive (1966-73).

From 1971-74, UCLA won 88 consecutive games, still the NCAA men’s record. Four of Wooden’s teams finished with 30-0 records, including his first championship team, which featured no starters taller than 6-feet-5. Three of his other championship teams were anchored by Alcindor, the 7-foot-2 center. Two others were led by Walton, a three-time national player of the year.

The original jump circle offered by SCP Auctions remained in Pauley from its opening in 1965 until its replacement in May 1982. During those 17 seasons, the most memorable events in UCLA basketball history, and some of the greatest records in NCAA sports were set. These include:

• - Eight of ten of UCLA's NCAA championship seasons under Coach John Wooden including seven consecutive (1966-73)
• - A combined record of 148-2 under Wooden
• - A stretch of 98 consecutives home victories for UCLA men's basketball
• - Wooden's last coaching appearance at home on March 1, 1975
• - UCLA's first women's national basketball championship in 1978

SCP Auctions, Inc., has been a leader in auctions and private sales of important sports memorabilia and cards since 1979. The Southern California-based firm has handled some of the most significant individual items and prominent collections in their field, such as the record-setting sale of the T206 Honus Wagner card graded PSA 8 (sold for $2.8 million), Babe Ruth's bat used to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium (sold for $1.265 million), The original 1919 Contract of Sale of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees (sold for $996,000), and the private collections of Hall of Famers such as Honus Wagner, Tony Lazzeri, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Casey Stengel, Pee Wee Reese, and Ernie Banks. For more information, visit www.scpauctions.com or call (800) 350-2273.

###

FUTURE PAC-12 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES ANNOUNCED

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--The Pac-10 announced today the 2011 Pac-12 football schedule and the eight-year rotation model used for future scheduling.

The 2011 season begins on Saturday, September 3 and culminates Saturday, December 3, with the first-ever Pac-12 Championship game. That game will be played at the home site of the division champion with the best overall conference record.

The 2012 schedule will include the same set of opponents as the 2011 schedule, with games played at opposite sites. Dates of those games are to be determined.

“We are pleased to follow the announcement of the Pac-12 North-South divisional alignment with the release of our 2011 football schedule, and a future conference football scheduling model that maintains important traditional rivalries, and will create some very exciting match-ups in our new 12-team conference,” stated Commissioner Larry Scott.

2011 Pac-12 Football Schedule
Thurs., Sept. 1
Montana State at Utah

Sat., Sept. 3
Northern Arizona at Arizona
UC Davis at Arizona State
Minnesota at USC
UCLA at Houston
California (game to be scheduled)
San Jose State at Stanford
Oregon vs. LSU
Oregon State (game to be scheduled)
Eastern Washington at Washington
Idaho State at Washington State
Colorado at Hawaii

Sat., Sept. 10
Utah at USC
Arizona at Oklahoma State
Missouri at Arizona State
San Jose State at UCLA
California (game to be scheduled)
Stanford at Duke
Nevada at Oregon
Oregon State at Wisconsin
Hawaii at Washington
UNLV at Washington State
Colorado (game to be scheduled)

Sat., Sept. 17
Stanford at Arizona
Arizona State at Illinois
Syracuse at USC
Texas at UCLA
California (game to be scheduled)
Oregon (game to be scheduled)
Washington at Nebraska
Washington State at San Diego State
Colorado vs. Colorado State
Utah at BYU

Sat., Sept. 24
Oregon at Arizona
USC at Arizona State
UCLA at Oregon State
California at Washington
Colorado at Ohio State

Sat., Oct. 1
Arizona at USC
Oregon State at Arizona State
UCLA at Stanford
Washington at Utah
Washington State at Colorado

Thurs., Oct. 6
California at Oregon

Sat., Oct. 8
Arizona at Oregon State
Arizona State at Utah
Washington State at UCLA
Colorado at Stanford

Thurs., Oct. 13
USC at California

Sat., Oct. 15
Arizona State at Oregon
Stanford at Washington State
Colorado at Washington
BYU at Oregon State
Utah at Pittsburgh

Thurs., Oct. 20
UCLA at Arizona

Sat., Oct. 22
Utah at California
Washington at Stanford
Oregon at Colorado
Oregon State at Washington State
USC at Notre Dame

Sat., Oct. 29
Arizona at Washington
Colorado at Arizona State
Stanford at USC
California at UCLA
Washington State at Oregon
Oregon State at Utah

Sat., Nov. 5
Utah at Arizona
Arizona State at UCLA
USC at Colorado
Washington State at California
Stanford at Oregon State
Oregon at Washington

Sat., Nov. 12
Arizona at Colorado
Arizona State at Washington State
Washington at USC
UCLA at Utah
Oregon State at California
Oregon at Stanford

Sat., Nov. 19
Arizona at Arizona State
USC at Oregon
Colorado at UCLA
California at Stanford
Washington at Oregon State
Utah at Washington State

Sat., Nov. 26
California at Arizona State
UCLA at USC
Oregon State at Oregon
Washington State at Washington
Colorado at Utah
Louisiana-Lafayette at Arizona
Notre Dame at Stanford

Sat., Dec. 3
Pac-12 Championship Game

PAC 12 Announces Conference Division Alignments

--New Policies Established for Revenue Sharing, Football Divisional Structure, Football Championship Game and Schedules for all other Sports--

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 21, 2010) - The Pac-12 Conference took major steps to transform itself into a dynamic new enterprise by forming two football divisions that maintain traditional rivalries, creating the first-ever Pac-12 football championship game, establishing schedule models for all other sports and agreeing to move to an equal revenue sharing plan for the !rst time in conference history, it was announced today.

The Chancellors and Presidents of the 12 member institutions voted to create a new North-South division structure that allows the conference to continue to play its traditional rivalry games, including the long-standing annual games among the California schools, delivers a football championship game to the home !eld of the top team in the conference standings and is easy for fans to follow.

“Our key objective was to transform the Pac-10 to a modern 12-team conference that has long term strength, increased value, competitive balance and is fan friendly and we have done that with these monumental decisions today,” Commissioner Larry Scott said. “By unanimously adopting a plan for equal revenue sharing we have created a conference with a strong foundation for long term success. It’s an exciting day for the Pac-12 and all of our fans.”

“This has been a very thorough process that created a lot of discussion and has delivered results that we are all very excited about,” said Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University and Chairman of the Pac-10 CEO Group. “The engagement we have received from all 12 member institutions and their Presidents and Chancellors has been tremendous. We have an ambitious plan for the future of our conference and all of that input was vital in allowing us to take these transformational steps.”

The new divisions will feature California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington and Washington
State in the North and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah in the South. Each school will play !ve divisional games, and four cross-divisional games each year. To preserve all of the historic rivalries, including those among the California schools, the new scheduling format locks in annual inter-divisional games between the Northern and Southern California teams, that date back to the 1930s.

The traditional rivalries like Oregon-Oregon State (113 meetings), Cal-Stanford (112), Washington-
Washington State (102), Arizona-Arizona State (83) and UCLA-USC (79) will continue to be played at the end of each season. Not to be lost, USC has played Stanford (98 times) and Cal (89) more than it has faced cross town rival UCLA (79). Meanwhile USC, Cal and Stanford tie as UCLA’s most frequent opponent at 79 meetings apiece. The divisions were formed based on the combination of rivalries, location and competitive balance.

“Not only did we achieve a competitive balance in our divisions, but we were also able to preserve our traditional rivalries as cornerstones of our conference,” Scott said. “These great annual battles have produced some of the most memorable moments in sports history. It was imperative that we kept them in tact.”

The inaugural Pac-12 Championship game will be played in December 2011 at the home stadium of the team with the best overall conference record, ensuring a full stadium and an electric collegiate atmosphere be!tting of a major conference championship game.

There will not be divisions for Pac-12 basketball or any other sports. In men’s and women’s basketball, the teams will play an 18-game conference schedule that will include home and home games with traditional rivals, six rotating home and homes and single play games against the remaining four teams in the Conference.

UCLA Will Wear New Jersey At Oregon On Oct. 21

UCLA and adidas unveiled their new TECHFIT compression football jerseys Monday. Featuring a ground-breaking compression fit and weighing 30 percent lighter than standard football jerseys, the adidas TECHFIT jersey will help players be lighter and faster on the field.

The UCLA Bruins will wear the new adidas TECHFIT jerseys on Thursday, Oct. 21 as they visit Oregon at 6 pm PT on ESPN.

"adidas and UCLA have had a great relationship for over a decade and we are excited about this new, cutting-edge product adidas has produced for our players," said UCLA Head Coach Rick Neuheisel. "The new jersey has a compression fit and is harder for our opponents to grab. It will also keep our players cool, thanks to the material and ventilation system, and it has a great look to it. Some of the players had a chance to sample it and we are excited to wear them for the first time at Oregon on Oct. 21."

UCLA, adidas Announce New Football Jersey

PAC-10 REPRIMANDS OREGON FOOTBALL COACH

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--University of Oregon head football coach Chip Kelly has been reprimanded by the Pac-10 Conference for comments he made about the officiating at last Saturday’s game against Stanford, Commissioner Larry Scott announced today. Kelly’s comments were aired on ABC as part of a half-time interview conducted by Erin Andrews.

“The Pac-10 has specific rules that prohibit our coaches from making public comments about officiating, and this prohibition specifically includes comments that create doubts about the credibility of the Conference’s officiating program,” stated Scott. “The Conference expects each Pac-10 coach to adhere to our standards of conduct and to conduct himself or herself in a manner which will reflect credit on the institution and the Conference.”

Larry Scott Is On A Mission To Turn Around PAC-10

I had the chance to once again visit with PAC-10 Commissioner Larry Scott this past weekend during the Colorado/Cal football game in Berkeley.  Since he replaced legendary commissioner Tom Hansen a year ago, I have spoken to Scott on a handful occasions—both on and off the air.  From the very beginning, I sensed that he had two clear missions for the conference going forward: to be bigger and better.

It was no secret that Scott’s number one goal for the PAC-10 was to expand the conference by a minimum of two teams so the conference could have the always highly profitable conference championship game (expect an announcement on future division alignments by the end of October).  The implementation of this post-season showcase has led to an influx of hundreds of millions of dollars for the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and SEC over the last few seasons.  What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right?

foxsportswest.com: Larry Scott Is On A Mission To Turn Around PAC-10

PAC-10 Unveils New Brand and Digital Media Initiatives

--Football Coaches Join Commissioner Scott In New York, L.A. To Usher in New Era--

NEW YORK - At the launch of its first-ever bicoastal Media Tour, Commissioner Larry Scott today unveiled a series of new initiatives designed to reflect an increasingly fan-friendly, innovative future for the Conference of Champions. In addition to presenting the new Pac-10 logo and the most comprehensive branding effort in the history of the Conference, fans were able to experience a new digital initiative which includes streaming video and a new Pac-10.org website with original content.

These initiatives enable the Pac-10 to tell its story more effectively and leverage technology to engage an enlarging fan base as the University of Colorado and the University of Utah prepare to join the Conference. Scott confirmed that the Conference name will officially migrate to Pac-12 once the Buffaloes and Utes actually begin their membership. The new branding and logo already reflect this geographical expansion, depicting the beauty and energy of the West, from the mountains to the ocean, an expanded territory that will include seven of the nation’s top 35 media markets.

The announcements came as the Conference and its current 10 head football coaches were conducting a series of media events, for the first time taking place on both East and West Coasts. The events began with today’s announcements in New York City and will culminate with the annual Pac-10 Media Day in California, which for the first time will be held on the field of the historic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. The Rose Bowl portion of the media tour will be streamed live on the internet.

Introducing the initiatives at a New York press conference today, Scott said, “With our universities and students on the cutting edge of innovation and digital media in their research, studies and daily lives, we think it’s appropriate that the Pac-10 lead the way in using these new media and technologies to more effectively bring our competition and stories to our fans.”

While the new website will retain all the things fans have come to expect – schedules, scores, standings – it will now offer video highlights, streaming video, blogs, and other state-of-the-art features. As part of the Conference’s digital initiative, fans and media will also be able to follow this week’s media tour via Twitter (@Pac10), Facebook (www.facebook.com/Pac10) and Flickr.

After the press conference, the league’s 10 head football coaches – Arizona’s Mike Stoops, Arizona State’s Dennis Erickson, California’s Jeff Tedford, Oregon’s Chip Kelly, Oregon State’s Mike Riley, Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh, UCLA’s Rick Neuheisel, USC’s Lane Kiffin, Washington’s Steve Sarkisian and Washington State’s Paul Wulff – had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with key national media.

On Wednesday morning, the coaches and Commissioner Scott begin the day ringing NASDAQ’s opening bell as a new Pac-10 movie trailer runs all week on News Corp’s giant electronic television in the heart of New York City’s Times Square. The live stream of the NASDAQ opening ceremony will be available at the link: www.nasdaq.com/about/marketsitetowervideo.asx.

The group will then travel to Bristol, Conn., to provide interviews and shoot videos at ESPN headquarters.

The three-day tour culminates Thursday, July 29, with the annual media day in Pasadena. The 10 coaches and one student-athlete from each institution will answer questions from the media. The Media Tour caps off with a Hollywood premiere of the new Pac-10 for over 200 guests hosted by the Fox Broadcasting Company on their studio lot.

- www.pac-10.org -

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO JOINS PAC-10

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--The Pacific-10 Conference announced today that the University of Colorado at Boulder has accepted an invitation to join the Conference as it’s 11th member, the first new member since July 1, 1978.

“This is an historic moment for the Conference, as the Pac-10 is poised for tremendous growth.  The University of Colorado is a great fit for the Conference both academically and athletically and we are incredibly excited to welcome Colorado to the Pac-10,” said Commissioner Larry Scott. 

“On behalf of The University of Colorado students, faculty, alumni and fans, we are proud to accept this invitation from the Pac-10 and join the most prestigious academic and athletic conference in the nation, “ said Philip P. DiStefano, chancellor of CU-Boulder.

“The University of Colorado is a perfect match - academically and athletically - with the Pac-10,” said University of Colorado President Bruce D. Benson,  “our achievements and aspirations match those of the universities in the conference and we look forward to a productive relationship.”

Commissioner Scott, Chancellor DiStefano, President Benson, CU Board of Regents Chairman Steve Bosely and CU Athletics Director Mike Bohn and others will hold an official press conference on Friday, June 11, 2010 at 11 a.m. MT at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo.

PAC-10 EARLY 2010 FOOTBALL TELEVISION SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

--FOX SPORTS NET, ESPN AND ABC TO AIR PAC-10 FOOTBALL--


WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--Pacific-10 Conference television partners  Fox Sports Net, ESPN/ABC and Versus will combine to provide extensive coverage of Pac-10 football in 2010.  ESPN and ABC will combine to televise 20 games from Pac-10 sites, while FSN will air 11 games and Versus seven to a national cable audience.  In addition, many non-conference road games involving Pac-10 teams will be aired over various television outlets.  In addition to the Conference television packages, individual schools at times may present games on local over-the-air or cable entities.  Some of the games to be televised are selected prior to the season, others will be selected as the season progresses with picks made either six or 12 days prior to the games.  Following are games involving Pac-10 teams that have been selected for television as of May 11, 2010.  Additional telecast selections will be announced on June 1, 2010.



Day/Date Time (PT) Game TV
Thu., Sep. 2 8:00 p.m. USC at Hawai’i ESPN

Fri., Sep. 3 5:00 p.m. Arizona at Toledo ESPN

Sat., Sep. 4 12:30 p.m. UCLA at Kansas State ABC
4:00 p.m. Washington at BYU CBS College Sports
4:45 p.m. Oregon State vs. TCU ESPN

Sat., Sep. 11 12:30 p.m. Colorado at California FSN
4:00 p.m. Oregon at Tennessee ESPN2
7:30 p.m. Stanford at UCLA ESPN
7:30 p.m. Virginia at USC FSN

Fri., Sep. 17 7:00 p.m. California at Nevada ESPN2

Sat., Sep. 18 12:30 p.m. Nebraska at Washington ABC
12:30 p.m. Arizona State at Wisconsin ABC/ESPN2
12:30 p.m. USC at Minnesota ESPN
12:30 p.m. Washington State at SMU CBS College Sports
7:30 p.m. Iowa at Arizona ESPN
7:30 p.m. Houston at UCLA FSN
8:15 p.m. Wake Forest at Stanford ESPN2

Sat., Sep. 25 12:30 p.m. Stanford at Notre Dame NBC
7:30 p.m. Oregon at Arizona State FSN
TBA Oregon State at Boise State ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
TBA UCLA at Texas ABC

Sat., Oct. 2 5:00 p.m. Washington at USC ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
8:15 p.m. Stanford at Oregon ESPN

Sat., Oct. 9 5:00 p.m. USC at Stanford ABC

Sat., Oct. 16 12:30 p.m. California at USC FSN
7:15 p.m. TBA ESPN

Thu., Oct. 21 6:00 p.m. UCLA at Oregon ESPN

Sat., Oct. 23 12:30 p.m. TBA ABC

Sat., Oct. 30 5:00 p.m. Oregon at USC ABC

Sat., Nov. 6 12:30 p.m. TBA ABC
7:15 p.m. TBA ESPN

Sat., Nov. 13 5:00 p.m. USC at Arizona ABC


Thu., Nov. 18 5:00 p.m. UCLA at Washington ESPN

Sat., Nov. 20 12:30 p.m. Stanford at California FSN
5:00 p.m. USC at Oregon State ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

Fri., Nov. 26 12:30 p.m. UCLA at Arizona State FSN
4:00 p.m. Arizona at Oregon ESPN

Sat., Nov. 27 5:00 p.m. Notre Dame at USC ABC, ESPN or ESPN2

Thu., Dec. 2 5:00 p.m. Arizona State at Arizona ESPN

Sat., Dec. 4 12:30 p.m. TBA ABC

Former Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen to receive Dick Enberg Award at CoSIDA Convention

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Former Pacific-10 (Pac-10) Conference Commissioner Tom Hansen has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Dick Enberg Award and will receive the award at the College Sports Information Director of America (CoSIDA) workshop in San Francisco, California.
The presentation will be on evening of July 6th as part of CoSIDA Hall of Fame Gala celebration which will honor both the CoSIDA Hall of Fame Class of 2010 and the Academic All-America Hall of Fame Class of 2010.

Hansen, who was the Commissioner of the Pac-10 for 26 years, will be the 14th individual to be honored since the award’s inception in 1997.

The Dick Enberg Award is annually presented to a person whose actions and commitment have furthered the meaning and reach of the Academic All-America® Teams Program and/or the student-athlete while promoting the values of education and academics.

The award was created to recognize Dick Enberg’s passion and support of the Academic All-America® program for more than 20 years, as well as his dedication to education for more than four decades.

“I'm sincerely pleased and honored that Tom Hansen has accepted the 2010 Enberg Award. Tom has long served as an unassuming, but strong leader, one who has continually pursued excellence in academics and athletics” Enberg says. “His dedication to the Academic All-America program has brought a national focus on what we admire most about the student-athlete.”

“Tom Hansen’s long and distinguished career in college athletics has positively influenced a wide variety of people, none more so than the many student-athletes whose experiences he made better through his leadership,” says Justin Doherty of the University of Wisconsin, the 2009-10 CoSIDA president. “The list of past Dick Enberg Award winners reads like a ‘who’s who’ of college athletics and Tom Hansen’s name certainly adds to the prestige of that select group.”

In addition to his tenure as Commissioner, Hansen served seven years, 1960-67, as Director of Public Relations for the Pac-10, giving him a total of 33 years of service to the Conference. He was a member of the NCAA staff for 16 years in between his two stints with the Pac-10. Hansen was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame earlier this year.

"Selection for the award bearing the name of Dick Enberg, a very special person and avid supporter of the best values of college athletics, is a unique honor, as is my association in this manner with the past winners,” Hansen remarks. “Each of them was dedicated to the student-athlete and to encouraging them to take advantage of the academic opportunities their athletic participation made possible.

"College athletics is an important element of the university, for its students, alumni and friends, but it must maintain an appropriate relationship to the institution's academic mission. The Enberg Award reminds us of the primacy of education in that mission and salutes the academic achievements of student-athletes. I am honored to be recognized for my efforts toward those goals during my career."

The Pac-10 Conference enjoyed unparalleled success during Hansen’s tenure as conference teams won 204 NCAA championships during his years as Commissioner, a total surpassing any other conference by a wide margin. Accomplishments off the field have been equally impressive. Among the developments since Hansen assumed the commissioner position were the inauguration of the Pac-10’s nationally prominent women’s sports programs, dramatic expansion of the Conference football and basketball television programs, a prominent role in the development of the Bowl Championship Series and establishment of a strong lineup of bowl partners.

Long active in NCAA affairs, Hansen chaired and served on numerous NCAA committees, including the NCAA Oversight and Monitoring Group, the Division I Task Force on Recruiting, the Governance Subcommittee, the Diversity Leadership Strategic Planning Committee, the Gender Equity Task Force, the Amateurism Clearinghouse Advisory Group and the Nominating and Special Events Committee, among others. He also has served as President of NCAA Football and the Collegiate Commissioners Association and been on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern California Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, and served on that organization’s national Honor’s Court.

Among the honors bestowed on Hansen during his tenure at the Pac-10 were the NACDA Award for Administrative Excellence, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award, and the Foundation’s Northern California Chapter Distinguished American Award.

While at the NCAA, where he was an assistant executive director, among primary assignments were administration for the football television program, the Men’s Basketball Championship and the Committee on Women’s Athletics. He also represented the NCAA in Washington, D.C.

PREVIOUS DICK ENBERG AWARD WINNERS 
1997: Dick Enberg
1998: John Humenik
1999: Dean Smith
2000: Bill Russell
2001: Donna Shalala
2002: Alan Page
2003: Tom Osborne
2004: Ted Leland
2005: Father Theodore Hesburgh
2006: President Gerald R. Ford
2007: Pat Summitt
2008: Chuck Lee
2009: Steve Smith
2010: Tom Hansen

Expect The Unexpected At The PAC-10 Tournament

I had the opportunity Monday to host the annual PAC-10 Tournament Tip-off Luncheon put on by the LA Sports and Entertainment Commission.  For the past three years, the LASEC has invited various clients and business partners of the PAC-10 to take part in a Q & A with the head coaches from UCLA and USC as a way of setting up the annual conference tournament held at Staples Center.

This year was slightly different because USC will not be participating in the tourney.  So instead of Kevin O'Neill joining Ben Howland at the luncheon, FSN college basketball analyst Marques Johnson shared his thoughts about both this year's regular season and the upcoming tournament.

Marques once again shared his mantra for the season and applied it to this year's tournament:  Expect the unexpected!

PAC-10 Announces Men's Basketball Award Winners

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., - In a vote of the 10 Conference coaches, CALIFORNIA senior guard Jerome Randle has been named the 2009-10 Pacific-10 Men's Basketball Player of the Year, ARIZONA forward Derrick Williams has been named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year; OREGON STATE senior guard/forward Seth Tarver has been named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year; USC sophomore forward Nikola Vucevic has been named Pac-10 Most Improved Player of the Year and Herb Sendek of ARIZONA STATE is the Pac-10 Coach of the Year, Commissioner Larry Scott announced today. 

The Complete Conference Honors:

Brut Sun Bowl Aligns With Pac-10, ACC Through 2013

EL PASO, Texas (November 5, 2009) – The Brut Sun Bowl officially announced today it has extended its partnership with the Pac-10 Conference through 2013 and aligned with the Atlantic Coast Conference from 2010-2013.

The new alignment will feature the third selection after the Bowl Championship Series from the Pac-10 against either the runner-up of the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game or the third selection after the BCS from the ACC.

“We are extremely excited to forge this new partnership,” said Frank Bates, president of the Sun Bowl Association. “We have had such a strong and long-standing relationship with the Pac-10. Having the opportunity to pair the Pac-10 with the Atlantic Coast Conference could really prove to be some exciting matchups.”

The Brut Sun Bowl has the second longest current relationship with the Pac-10, hosting a league school for 14 consecutive years. Nine of the league’s 10 schools have participated in the Brut Sun Bowl 25 times, with California as the lone school to have never played in the Sun Bowl.

“The Pac-10 is very happy to extend its longtime relationship with the Brut Sun Bowl,” said Commissioner Larry Scott. “The Sun Bowl has been a good and loyal partner over the years and through its New Year's Eve positioning on CBS provides an excellent showcase for the Pac-10 teams. We look forward to many more years of partnership.”

The Atlantic Coast Conference is also no stranger to the Brut Sun Bowl, but has not sent a team to El Paso since 1994. In all, ACC schools have made 10 appearances, with North Carolina appearing four times – 1972, 1974, 1982 and 1994.

The 1994 Sun Bowl between Texas and North Carolina was named the greatest Sun Bowl ever played at last year’s 75th Brut Sun Bowl.

“As someone who has been to the Sun Bowl, I can tell you that it was one of the best bowl trips that I have ever experienced,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “We are looking forward to having a compelling match-up with the Pac-10, while also being part of the storied bowl history and tradition. This partnership will provide special and memorable experiences for our student-athletes and fans.”

The Pac-10 Conference consists of Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State. The Atlantic Coast Conference includes Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

The 76th Brut Sun Bowl is slated for Thursday, Dec. 31 at Noon (MT) at Sun Bowl Stadium. This year’s game features the Pac-10 Conference against the Big 12 Conference. Tickets are available by calling 915-533-4416 or online at www.sunbowl.org.

Oregon CB Thurmond done for season

You may not find a stronger proponent for higher education than yours truly. I believe the college experience--from both the educational to the social aspects--is invaluable to young people, especially today. Those who believe it's a waste a time and/or money have no idea what they are missing.

However, I am also a realist. College is not for everyone, or perhaps more accurately, a college degree is not for everyone.

The number one goal of going to college is to develop skills to help you ensure a successful and productive life once your school days are done. I often use that argument when today's student-athletes are faced with the decision to leave school early for the professional ranks or to stay in college for another season or two.

Granted, every case is different, but for the upper echelon of uber talented athletes, staying in school sometimes has its consequences, and Oregon's Walter Thurmond III is the latest example.

Thurmond, who came extremely close to entering the 2009 NFL Draft, suffered a season-ending knee injury in Saturday's win over Cal. Instead of rehabbing that knee with a professional team, who would be paying him while doing so, Thurmond must now try to get back to a level of strength and conditioning by January so he can work out for NFL teams with hopes of someone taking a chance on him.

Once a guaranteed lock for a high draft pick, Thurmond is now viewed as damaged goods by professional scouts and talent evaluators. Instead of determining where he should be picked in the draft, some teams will soon determine whether he should be drafted at all.

Here's hoping that Thurmond's work ethic and desire will help him prove to NFL general managers, coaches and scouts that he is still worthy of a chance.

Emerald Bowl Extends Agreement With PAC-10, Announces New Tie-ins

SAN FRANCISCO - The Pacific-10 Conference and the Emerald Bowl today renewed their agreement through at least 2013, and the Bowl announced three new affiliations that will provide the Pac-10 with a unique set of future opponents in San Francisco.

The Emerald Bowl, now in its eighth year, will match the Pac-10's No. 6 pick against top teams from the Western Athletic Conference, Navy and Army during the next four-year bowl cycle [2010-2013].

“We're thrilled to extend our affiliation with the Pac-10,” said Emerald Bowl Executive Director Gary Cavalli. “Having the Pac-10 as our anchor conference has helped grow the game and build the Emerald Bowl's stature and visibility on a national scale. With the Pac-10 in the game the last three years, we've drawn two sellout crowds and become one of the highest rated bowls on television.

“We're also excited about our new partnerships with the WAC, Navy and Army. These agreements guarantee a high quality matchup for our fans, title sponsor and television viewers around the country. This combination of opponents gives us a perfect blend of local and national appeal, top-notch football and pageantry.”

Last year's Emerald Bowl, which matched Cal vs Miami, drew a record crowd of 42,268 and a TV rating of 4.6, the 8th highest audience among the 34 “The Pacific-10 Conference is very pleased to extend its relationship with the Emerald Bowl,” said Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott

“The setting in AT&T Park in downtown San Francisco has made the Emerald Bowl a very attractive destination for the Pac-10 teams that have earned a berth in the game and a favorite of fans who follow those teams.

“We believe that the future of the Emerald Bowl is very bright and commend the leadership and staff of the bowl for making the game a truly memorable experience.”

The Pac-10 team's opponent, Cavalli said, will be the WAC's 1st, 2nd or 3rd place team in the years 2010 and 2013, with Army coming to San Francisco in 2011 and Navy in 2012.

“This is a great arrangement for the WAC and its nine football teams,” said commissioner Karl Benson. “The Emerald Bowl has established itself as a premier bowl in a great city. I am sure our fans will love to travel to San Francisco.

“We look forward to bringing nationally prominent teams like Boise State and Fresno State to the Emerald Bowl,” Cavalli said. “San Francisco is a short distance away from many of the WAC schools. This affiliation will give WAC fans a chance to see their teams play in one of the world's greatest cities.”

Navy will return to the Emerald Bowl in 2012 after having beaten New Mexico in the 2004 game.

“Based on our visit in 2004, we have seen first-hand that the Emerald Bowl is a magnificent overall environment and event,” said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. “San Francisco, the stadium, community, hospitality, bowl administration and the beauty of Northern California present as fine a postseason experience as we could possibly enjoy.

“The Academy is sincerely grateful to Gary Cavalli and his staff for inviting us back and setting the stage for our team to earn an enjoyable trip to the West Coast and an inspiring matchup versus the Pac-10.”

“We had a fantastic experience with Navy in 2004 and have been looking for an opportunity to bring them back to San Francisco ever since,” Cavalli said. “They've won at least eight games for the past six years and become of the most desirable bowl teams in the country. They bring not only an outstanding football team, but 20,000 fans, unmatched tradition and great pageantry.In the year 2011, Army [if bowl eligible] will meet a Pac-10 team in San Francisco. The Cadets are the only service academy that has not yet appeared in an Emerald Bowl [Air Force played in the inaugural 2002 game].

“We couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to showcase our football program in the Emerald Bowl in 2011,” said Army Director of Athletics Kevin Anderson. “We feel the tradition and pageantry of the Army football program is second to none and would provide a tremendous spectacle for the people of San Francisco during the holidays.

“I'm certain our fans, graduates and the Corps of Cadets will be very excited to travel to Northern California to face a Pac-10 Conference team in December and support the Black Knights.”

“Great things are expected under new coach Rich Ellerson,” Cavalli said. “I think we're out ahead of the curve in inviting a program that is destined to become highly successful and sought after by many post-season bowls.”

This year's Emerald Bowl, matching teams from the Pac-10 and ACC, is set for Saturday, December 26, 2009 at AT&T Park. Kickoff is 5:00 p.m. [PST]/8:00 p.m. [EST]. It will be carried nationally via ESPN and ESPN Radio. Tickets for the game are now on sale and may be obtained through the game's official website, www.emeraldbowl.org.

Follow the Pac-10 Conference on Twitter & Facebook

--Fans can receive instant updates from social networking sites--

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.-- Pacific-10 Conference fans looking for the latest news and information about the conference and its member schools can follow the Conference on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can follow the Pac-10 via mobile devices using various cell phone applications for Facebook and Twitter, and on Instant Messenger (IM). On Facebook, fans can also receive updates through their email.

Pac-10 fans can receive and check regular updates at www.twitter.com/Pac-10. Fans do not need an account to view the Pac-10 twitter page, but must have an account in order to receive automatic updates.

On Facebook, fans must have an account in order to automatically receive updates from the Pac-10. To "Become a Fan," visit the Pac-10 Conference fan page at www.facebook.com/Pac10. To receive updates by email, users must set the appropriate account settings.

The Pac-10 will share news, links, photos and video throughout the academic year. Fans and followers of the Pac-10 Conference will also the opportunity to win tickets to special events, including the Rose Bowl, the Pacific Life Pac-10 Men's Basketball Tournament and the State Farm Pac-10 Women's Basketball Tournament. Twitter and Facebook are free social networking sites.

To sign up for an account, visit www.twitter.com or www.facebook.com.

- www.pac-10.org -

Larry Scott Replaces Tom Hansen As PAC-10 Commissioner

Here's the official release from the PAC-10 naming Larry Scott as its new commissioner.

Several names had been rumored over the last few weeks as the eventual replacement for outgoing commissioner Tom Hansen--everyone from Condoleeza Rice to Sandy Alderson.

Scott will certainly have his hands full trying to fill the footsteps of the longest-tenured commissioner in big-time college athletics, who saw the PAC-10 win more than 200 NCAA titles during his reign.

--PACIFIC-10 CONFERENCE NAMES LARRY SCOTT COMMISSIONER--

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--The Pacific-10 Conference named Larry Scott, Chairman and CEO of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), its new commissioner, effective July 1, 2009. Scott becomes the sixth commissioner of the Pac-10, succeeding Tom Hansen who is set to retire after 26 years in the role.

Since joining the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in 2003, Scott has engineered the turnaround of women's professional tennis, increasing the popularity of the sport across the world. A former tennis All-American at Harvard, Scott is credited as the architect behind the largest-ever sponsorship in women's sports, a six-year, $88-million title sponsorship agreement with Sony Ericsson. He also led the WTA in its development of the largest television agreements in women’s tennis history spanning viewership both in the U.S. and abroad.

“While it is difficult to replace a leader like Tom Hansen who has served the conference for more than 26 years, we are extremely pleased with the tremendous response we received to the national search,” said John Hennessy, president of Stanford University and head of the executive committee. “We considered a very impressive group of candidates, and Larry Scott was clearly the most qualified and innovative leader for the Pac-10.”

The Pac-10 dates back to 1915 when four schools - the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, and Oregon State College – formed the conference. Now with 10 member institutions, the Pac-10 ranks first in NCAA Championships with 159 over the past 18 years and has finished with more NCAA titles than any other conference in 42 of the last 48 years, earning titles in more than 26 different men’s and women’s sports.

“I’m excited to pursue this very unique opportunity to be involved in a broad range of men’s and women’s sports at the college level and balancing the priorities of student-athletes with the commercial needs of the conference,” said Scott, who will move from Florida to Northern California. “It’s an exciting opportunity for me to apply my broad range of leadership skills in sports management, marketing, effective positioning of an organization to international and national audiences, and being an advocate on behalf of our sports.”

Since the NCAA began conducting women's championships 27 years ago, Pac-10 schools have claimed at least four national titles in a single season on 19 separate occasions. Overall, the Pac-10 has captured 113 NCAA women's crowns, 30 more than any other conference. That said, Scott’s experience in women’s athletics will be especially relevant. Scott is credited with being a vocal and effective advocate for women’s athletes, helping WTA members earn equal pay in major tennis tournaments around the world for the first time in 100 years.

“Our search committee was most impressed with Larry’s broad range of leadership experiences in both men’s and women’s sports, as well as his extensive success in representing the commercial interest of men’s and women’s tennis,” said Bob Bowlsby, athletic director of Stanford and head of the search committee. “He was the architect of a highly-effective turnaround of women’s tennis over the last six years and created a compelling vision that has served the sport and its athletes extremely well. We are also very pleased to bring on such a great advocate for both men’s and women’s sports.”

Under Scott’s leadership, the WTA secured television partnerships with the major US networks and renewed its international television partnership with Eurosport, which broadcasts women's tennis to 54 countries and more than 104 million homes. Scott's career in tennis began as a professional tennis player on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) circuit, where he played for three years and won one tournament. Scott then spent a decade in leadership and senior management positions within the ATP, serving in the posts of Chief Operating Officer, President of ATP Properties and Executive Vice President of the International Group.

PAC-10 Tournament Lived Up To The Hype

For the last several weeks, my colleagues on the PAC-10 television package and I have been saying that the 2009 version of the tournament could be one of the best in recent memory. The strength of competition was so good all season that we believed as many as seven teams were capable of winning the tournament. And that belief turned out to be right on the mark.

Since the tournament was reinstated in 2002, every winner had been either a 1, 2 or 3 seed, except for 2007 when Oregon claimed the title as a 5 seed. This year, USC did the Ducks one better by winning the championship as a 6 seed.

But it wasn't just that the Trojans made an incredible run to the title that made this year's tournament so good. The real dramatics were in the individual games.

You saw superstar players (James Harden, Jordan Hill, et al) put together superstar performances.

You saw some of the best coaches in all of college basketball (Tim Floyd, Herb Sendek, et al) devise impeccable game plans.

And you saw a championship game that displayed the drama that makes March Madness one of the best sports events of the year.

The PAC-10 couldn't have asked for more!