Report: Alabama AD Greg Byrne Being Considered for PAC-12 Commissioner
The PAC-12 Conference announced on Wednesday evening that the league and commissioner Larry Scott would be parting ways on June 30.
Scott had held the position since 2010.
"I was in pro sports for 20 years, I’ve now been in college athletics for more than 10 years, and now is a great time in my life to pursue other exciting opportunities," Scott said in a press release. "This moment, when college athletics are moving in a new direction and with the Conference soon commencing the next round of media negotiations, it seems the right time to make a change..."
Per a report from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, University of Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne is in the mix for the job along with Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, Oliver Luck, Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir, and Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson.
Previously, Byrne spent eight years at Arizona as the Wildcats' athletic director from 2010 to 2017 before making his way to Tuscaloosa for the same position.
He has also served in administrative roles at Oregon and Oregon State. Byrne is an alumnus of Arizona State so he knows the West Coast footprint very well.
Currently, Byrne has helped the school introduce and usher in the first years of The Crimson Standard, a 10-year $600-million project to enhance the student-athlete's experience and the game-day experience for all Crimson Tide fans.
"We spent the last year and a half looking at our history and analyzing where we are currently to help create a vision for the future that enhances Alabama Athletics to improve the student-athlete and the fan experience," Byrne said in the summer of 2018. "That vision is what led us to The Crimson Standard: A Capital Initiative for Alabama Athletics. We have a mission to build and maintain a program that achieves academic success and wins championships in all sports by educating and developing the best student-athletes and by supporting and retaining outstanding coaches.
"Our core values also begin with a commitment to the total support of the educational, athletic and personal development of all student-athletes. We have been on the forefront in investing in student-athlete development, academically, in life skills, career development, mental health, safety, nutrition and many other areas. That being said, evolution of facilities is critical as we continue to move our program forward to support the levels we expect them to perform at and compete for championships.
"This was a process that involved our student-athletes, our letter-winners, our coaches, staff, University leadership and our fans. It is a 10-year, $600 million plan, which we have broken down into three phases, and while you will only see a few areas highlighted in the video understand The Crimson Standard is a comprehensive initiative that will positively impact nearly all of our teams and venues."
This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
