When the Pac-12 conference first hired Larry Scott, I was excited. Things had started to deteriorate under the prior guidance of Tom Hansen and it was time for a fresh voice in charge. Things seemed to be going well, initially, under Larry Scott's guidance. But in recent years, it's become evident that there is a need for change.

Football, the major revenue sport for the conference has gone from being considered one of the top two conferences nationally along with the SEC, to being the worst of the Power 5 and possibly worse than some of the greater 5 conferences. In men's basketball, the Pac-12 was also once a top conference. This year, it looks as if the conference will only get 1 bid, the automatic bid every conference gets. 

One issue with Scott's leadership is his continued inability to secure carriage rights with major broadcast companies. Notably, with Directv and AT&T, some of the nations largest distributors. Also, his stubbornness to sell the rights to Pac-12 games to other networks in order to increase revenue has severely stunted the potential growth of the Pac-12, and dragged the conference severely behind the other major conferences in terms of revenue.

Another issue plaguing the conference in these two sports, is officiating. When recruits specifically cite the conference's officiating as a reason they leave to go to other conferences, that's a sign that you have a problem. And it's not bad against just one school. Sure, as an Oregon fan and alumni, I could cite numerous occasions of crappy officiating. But I can also cite numerous times where other schools have been victim to the officiating as well. One only needs to look at the USC vs Washington State game as an example of horrendous officiating. And it's only been getting worse as the years go on. I remember, when I won tickets to site courtside for Oregon's exhibition game, seeing the same officials that had been there since I was a student left me stunned out of fear for the bad calls to come. I don't know the names, but I do know the short, white bald official from that game is one of the good ones in the conference. He's fair, and he's good about explaining his decision making on his calls, and asking his partners for help when he needs it. The other two, in just that game as an example, refuse to ask for help, and just make their calls with confidence, even when they're BLATANTLY wrong on their calls. And the fact that there seems to be no review, or recourse from the league office to grade officials, and get rid of the bad ones is ridiculous and unacceptable.

Therefore, I am calling on the presidents of the universities of the Pac-12 conference to do the right thing, stand up and be men, and make a change in the commissioner's office of the conference. Lavish Larry has got to go. Please sign and share this petition with every Pac-12 alumni and fan of these universities so we can get the conference back to being the true Conference of Champions, not the current one that Scott and his cronies like to trumpet. Hard to be champions, when you're trailing all the other conferences considerably.