Report: Documents show tension between Arizona, Pac-12

Tensions have mounted between the Pac-12 conference and Arizona coach Sean Miller. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Before the Pac-12 conference coordinator of basketball officials Ed Rush resigned for comments he made about Arizona head coach Sean Miller, there was already tension between the conference and the school, reports USA Today.

According to the report, correspondence between Arizona and Pac-12 officials implies that relations already were strained before the Pac-12 Tournament. Miller had complained about the officials in several Arizona losses including a two-point loss to UCLA in the conference tournament semifinals.   Miller was fined $25,000 and reprimanded for his confrontation with a referee following the game.

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 Two weeks later, CBSSports.com broke a story alleging that Rush, the league's coordinator of officials, had promised cash and travel awards if officials called a technical foul on Miller or ejected him. The documents show Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne and Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott had discussed the allegations against Rush much earlier. According to emails, the two men disagreed whether it and other factors should have been considered a mitigating circumstance in punishing Miller, who was incensed over a technical foul he was assessed by Irving with 4:37 left in the game against UCLA.