The Pac 12 Network is giving its programming a makeover to put more of a spotlight on football. When the network first launched six years ago, the network wanted to highlight the conference’s Olympic sports, which had no other TV outlet. Conference commissioner Larry Scott has explained the strategy in the past by saying that the conference is made up of athletic directors that want their schools to have success across the sports spectrum.
What Scott said is certainly still true, but new Pac 12 Network president Mark Shukin is specifically focused on success in football. He told the San Jose Mercury News “We want to give the people what they want, when they want it, and interest is clearly driven by football. We just had to plan how to do it.” He will be putting a renewed focus on the sport this season, and that will include an on-site pregame show, a la College Gameday.
Shukin has not given anyone details on the pregame show. Will it be a brand new show, or is the Pac 12 Network’s existing pregame show simply hitting the road? Who will host? Given how close we are to the season kicking off, these are answers Shukin likely already has and just isn’t quite ready to share.
