Pac-12 looking to expand its presence in... China?

[AEAfrog]

Larry Scott, the Pacific-12 Conference commissioner, flew to Beijing on Sunday to start an apparently unprecedented effort by a college sports league to establish itself in a foreign country.

Larry Scott, the Pacific-12's commissioner, is on a trip to China, where the conference plans to establish a presence.

Scott plans to spend four days there meeting with various officials to put together a “road map” for a way to expand the presence of Pac-12 universities in China. While Scott has his eyes on Central America, South America, India and other Asian nations in the long term, his immediate priority is establishing the Pac-12 in China.

Scott said in a telephone interview Saturday that he expected the Pac-12 to play games in China in the next three to five years, and that he hoped the league’s cable network would someday be available there.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/sports/pac-12-hopes-to-establish-presence-in-china.html?_r=1

 

[Delmonico]

They hired Larry Scott because they wanted someone who wasn't the same stuff, different day.

They're getting it.

 

[TCUdirtbag]

Big 12 will be looking to Mexiico in 3......2.,....

 

[Bonner4Prez]

I can see promoting there, but playing games? That is total lunacy.

 

[Delmonico]

I can see promoting there, but playing games? That is total lunacy.

What better way to promote a visual product. The NFL doesn't play in London because they like fish and chips. All 4 major pro leagues play regular season and/or exhibition games overseas. And Pac 12 wouldn't be breaking new ground either - Notre Dame (which knows something about promoting itself) has played several games in Ireland...and will again next season. And most schools already have off-season tours in multiple sports all over the world. It's not much of a stretch to take that from simply playing for off-season practice to a promotional tool for both athletics revenue and as a means of student recruitment

 

[Vlade Divac]

I can see promoting there, but playing games? That is total lunacy.

Why? If he can make it work, it would be brilliant.

 

[wes]

I can see promoting there, but playing games? That is total lunacy.

He might be able to interest the Chinese in some football, volleyball, soccer and swimming but I doubt that football will raise any eyebrows over there.

Then they have the task and expense of taking low revenue producing sports to China

 

[Bonner4Prez]

If this goes through then you are totally redefining the term student athlete. I mean seriously, flying over the pacific to be specific?

 

[Delmonico]

If this goes through then you are totally redefining the term student athlete. I mean seriously, flying over the pacific to be specific?

It was redefined about 30 years ago.

And, if you read the article, then you know that it's Stanford - a fairly decent educational institution - that has been discussing playing a game in China already.

And if they're really worried about such things (chuckle), then there's nothing stopping them from scheduling these games before classes start or during fall breaks.

 

[Bonner4Prez]

I'm talking about the time commitment. They put in enough as it is, but now long distance flights? They will never be in class.

 

[AEAfrog]

Big 12 will be looking to Mexiico in 3......2.,....

Latin America and the Caribbean should be a market for the Big 12. There is an interest in American football down there and places like Brazil are not far behind China in terms of economic development. The Florida schools have a presence in the region. The Big 12 should be making inroads there as well.

 

[AEAfrog]

I'm talking about the time commitment. They put in enough as it is, but now long distance flights? They will never be in class.

Pretty sure it was just talking about one game a year like the pro leagues do. Don't think there was any argument that the conference would be inviting new members in China or anything that extreme.

 

[dustinater@sbcglobal.net]

Posted 08 December 2011 - 01:54 PM (#99)

The University of the Americas Puebla is a university in Mexico that plays American Football. http://www.udlap.mx/.../headcoach.aspx
The Big 12 should add the Aztecas. They'd have the the whole country of Mexico as a market. 113 million houeholds. Only 1200 miles from Fort Worth which would be closer than Morgantown. They're in the Central Time Zone.

 

[Delmonico]

Latin America and the Caribbean should be a market for the Big 12. There is an interest in American football down there and places like Brazil are not far behind China in terms of economic development. The Florida schools have a presence in the region. The Big 12 should be making inroads there as well.

The trouble, as I see it, is having something to sell. The Pac 12 clearly has in mind trying to get their new network online in Asia, in addition to selling merchandise and recruiting students. What would the Big 12 sell - The Longhorn Network?

 

[Vlade Divac]

I'm talking about the time commitment. They put in enough as it is, but now long distance flights? They will never be in class.

Kickoff weekend, Fall break, Thanksgiving break, bowl game, etc. There are ways to make the time issue work. That's why he's Larry Scott though, and you're just a message board blowhard.

 

[stell91]

If y'all recall, the Coca Cola Classic was a regular season college football game played in Tokyo every year from 1977-1993. Stuff like that has happened before.

 

[JurisFrog]

Posted 08 December 2011 - 01:54 PM (#99)

The University of the Americas Puebla is a university in Mexico that plays American Football. http://www.udlap.mx/.../headcoach.aspx
The Big 12 should add the Aztecas. They'd have the the whole country of Mexico as a market. 113 million houeholds. Only 1200 miles from Fort Worth which would be closer than Morgantown. They're in the Central Time Zone.

Genius.

 

[dustinater@sbcglobal.net]

If y'all recall, the Coca Cola Classic was a regular season college football game played in Tokyo every year from 1977-1993. Stuff like that has happened before.

One of my favorite stories about Bill Snyder is him negotiating which side of the plane his players would be seated on when K-State played Nebraska in the Coca Cola Classic. He wanted the sun to be on the opposite side of the plane from his players so they could get better sleep.

 

[Delmonico]

One of my favorite stories about Bill Snyder is him negotiating which side of the plane his players would be seated on when K-State played Nebraska in the Coca Cola Classic. He wanted the sun to be on the opposite side of the plane from his players so they could get better sleep.

yeah, because that was in the time before there was window shades...... :biggrin:

 

[halfwaytoheaven]

Posted 08 December 2011 - 01:54 PM (#99)

The University of the Americas Puebla is a university in Mexico that plays American Football. http://www.udlap.mx/.../headcoach.aspx
The Big 12 should add the Aztecas. They'd have the the whole country of Mexico as a market. 113 million houeholds. Only 1200 miles from Fort Worth which would be closer than Morgantown. They're in the Central Time Zone.

Depends on your definition of "playing football." Monterrey Tech, one of the all-time best American football teams in Mexico, struggles against junior colleges and Div. II programs here in the US. Might be better off just playing a game a year in Mexico.