After months of speculation, Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott confirmed expansion talks Tuesday and said the conference will engage in serious discussions over the next six to 12 months.
During a press conference held Tuesday, Scott said the Pac-10 is considering the expansion proposal seriously.
"It really is over the next six to 12 months that we'll start having serious analysis and serious conversations," Scott told reporters about the expansion proposal
After attending discussions with administrators throughout the conference, Scott said he's determined to put these suggestions into action.
Newly-appointed Pac-10 deputy commissioner and chief operating officer Kevin Weiberg joined Scott in answering questions related to the possible expansion program next year.
Scott expects Weiberg, the former Big Ten executive and Big 12 commissioner, to make" innovative" changes over the next 12 to 18 months.
Weiberg's term is critical for the conference as it faces some challenges in the next couple of years, including the renewal of TV and media contracts, which expire after the 2011-12 academic year. The conference must also generate significant revenues to stay competitive with the other BCS conferences like the Big Ten and SEC.
"It makes sense [to consider expansion], if you are going to do it, to do it when you can monetize it and get value for it commercially," Scott said in the conference.
Though potential expansion program candidates are still undisclosed, Scott said conference members are increasingly showing curiosity about the proposal inspired by the Big 10's early desire for expansion.
The Pac-10 is expecting the expansion talks to finish within a year.
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