ESPN College Football

Missouri's visit to Arizona State, which should match nationally ranked teams, has been moved to Sept. 9 and will be broadcast on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET.

The kicker: That's a Friday night, a day earlier than the game's original date.

It will be the first time the Sun Devils have played on a Friday night.

Why the move? According to the press release, the game "will be the only televised game on Friday, Sept. 9 in that time slot, giving ASU unequalled exposure on that date."

A game featuring Louisville and Florida International will precede the ASU game on ESPN.

The release also noted that Pac-12 deputy commissioner and COO Kevin Weiberg "has spoken with the leadership of the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) about the date change to Friday night," which would conflict with local high school football.

The Sun Devils, the favorites in the Pac-12 South Division, open their season on Sept. 1 vs. UC Davis.

TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

• What might Pac-10 expansion mean for Arizona? Another take.
• From the gridiron to the race track, a couple of former Sun Devils are hooking up with NASCAR. Previewing the Arizona State running backs.
• California LB Mike Mohamed is a Playboy All-American. Former Bear Jahvid Best is going to be a critical piece for the Detroit Lions.
• Phil Knight made Oregon an offer it couldn't refuse. Chip Kelly talks about East Coast bias.
• Oregon State receiver Jordan Bishop can really jump.
• An update on UCLA recruiting -- the Bruins don't have any commitments yet.
• USC coach Lane Kiffin is chill over potential expansion and an eventual NCAA ruling. An update on Trojans recruiting.
• An update on the fortunes of three former Washington players in the CFL. Previewing the Huskies' linebackers.
• What are the chances Washington State gets off to a fast start?
• Jon Wilner makes a great point here: When Larry Scott hired former Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg as his No. 2, we should have seen the present expansion machinations coming.
• Notre Dame, Texas and, to a lesser extent, Nebraska are the key players in expansion rumblings.

Most of the expansion talk on the West Coast has focused on the Pac-10 luring Colorado away from the Big 12, but there's increasing evidence that the Pac-10 and Big 12 also are interested in a potential partnership.

Big 12 and Pac-10 administrators and athletic directors met Wednesday in Phoenix, and afterwards Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott used terms like "strategic alliance" and "pooling TV rights" and "joint network."

None of it sounded terribly adversarial.

Both conferences' media contracts expire after the 2011-12 academic year. Both want -- need -- to sign new contracts that help them keep pace with the SEC and Big Ten.

That might take some creativity, though a rebounding economy should help the cause. There are plenty of reasons the conferences could work together, starting with geography: They are the only two BCS conferences entirely located west of the Mississippi River. It would be easier for the Pac-10 to partner with a conference in the Mountain and Central time zones, rather than one that's entirely in the East, such as the ACC.

Moreover, Scott's No. 2, deputy commissioner/chief operating officer Kevin Weiberg, is a former Big 12 commissioner. Not to mention that new Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne is the son of Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne, who used to be athletic director at Oregon.

So there are grounds to build trust during what could be complicated negotiations.

Scott and Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe huddled for several minutes after a long afternoon meeting on Wednesday. It may have been only one of many future negotiations between the two.

• This comes a bit late for Oklahoma, but the Pac-10 is considering no longer using conference officials for nonconference home games, which would reduce controversy when homer, er, bad calls are made and would fall in line with other BCS conferences. Understand: Nothing is official until a proposal is ratified by the conference during June meetings.
• As part of a more aggressive marketing effort, the Pac-10 will hold a bi-coastal preseason "media day" in late July. The first day would be in New York, the second at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 29. Previously, Pac-10 media day was a one-day event in a LA airport hotel.
• Football travel squads may enlarge from 64 to 70, which falls in line with what other BCS conferences allow.
• Scott said that the NCAA's new, controversial "no taunting rule," which is scheduled to be adopted in 2011, was a hot topic. The new rule would make taunting a live-ball foul and the penalty would be assessed at the point of the infraction, which means it could kill a touchdown. "There's some concern about that from our coaches," Scott said. I bet.
• The Pac-10 coaches and ADs also met with officials from the Alamo Bowl, the conference new No. 2 bowl -- replacing the Holiday Bowl, which is now No. 3 -- as well as BCS executive director Bill Hancock.

PHOENIX -- After the coaches and athletic directors met with commissioner Larry Scott on Wednesday at the Pac-10 meetings, Stanford's Jim Harbaugh revealed some major news.

"The really interesting thing from Stanford's point of view we're going to be on national television for five straight weeks, starting with UCLA [on Sept. 11]," he said. "I don't know if that's ever been the case in the history of Stanford football."

What? Did you expect some expansion headlines?

Sure, it was a lead topic. Sure, everyone is interested. But even if the coaches were filled in on some grand plan -- which they weren't -- they were told to hush when approached by nosy reporters.

"Not really at liberty to talk about what those [expansion scenarios] are," Harbaugh said.

For the the most part, conference coaches seem, to borrow a term from Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, "neutral" on expansion. There also seems to be a general feeling of confidence that Scott and the administrators and consultants looking into the matter ultimately will make the right decision. The right decision, of course, meaning one that makes every conference program richer.

"I like our conference. I like the natural rivalries we have. I like the fact we play everybody in our conference and a true champion comes out of it," Sarkisian said. "But if there is value in expansion, if Larry Scott and his team -- who do a great job -- if they deem it's the best thing for our conference, then I'm all for it. If we do it, I know it will be the right thing to do because of the time and effort they're putting into this. And if we don't, I'll have faith that was the right thing to do. Either way they go with it, that's why they hired him and they'll make a good decision."

Said Harbaugh: "Is [expansion] a good thing? What we got right now is a good thing. It's set up really well. But our conference is going to look at all possible options. You've got to be open because you don't know what the landscape of college football will look like in two to five years. I think the Pac-10 is being proactive."

What about a conference title game, with or without expansion?

"I think that would be great, would be great for our conference," Sarkisian said. "I know for our kids, they love playing football. So if they give them another chance to play a game, they'll play it. I'm sure that's how it would be for the other nine programs in our conference. Just from an exposure standpoint for our conference, I think it would be a good thing."

Scott has significantly restructured the conference office since he took over last summer, including hiring deputy commissioner/chief operating officer Kevin Weiberg (the former Big 12 commissioner), chief financial officer Ron McQuate, chief marketing officer Danette Leighton and senior associate commissioner/SWA Gloria Nevarez.

Scott also has retained retained the Creative Artists Agency, the global marketing and entertainment firm, to explore expansion possibilities, according to a report from Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News.

With all the new faces and agenda items, the meeting, in large part, functioned as a "getting to know you" session.

There was other business, of course. Administrators talked about improving conference marketing. Moreover, the upcoming TV and media negotiations are critical as the Pac-10 tries to catch up to the SEC and Big Ten.

Football travel rosters are expanding!

Sure, expansion is front-and-center at the meetings, but that doesn't mean it's the coaches are obsessing.

"From our perspective, we're obsessing about the 12-game schedule we've got coming this fall and recruiting," Sarkisian said. "[Expansion] talk is really out of our hands."

Pac-10 expansion? It's already happening -- at least on the administrative side.

The conference announced the hiring of Woodie H. Dixon Jr. Tuesday as general counsel and vice president of business affairs. Dixon, who will start April 15, is currently general counsel for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Dixon is the conference's fifth new hire in the past six weeks, joining deputy commissioner/chief operating officer Kevin Weiberg, the former Big 12 commissioner, chief financial officer Ron McQuate, chief marketing officer Danette Leighton and senior associate commissioner/SWA Gloria Nevarez.

"Woodie's extensive legal and business affairs experience with the NFL and as a general counsel make him an ideal choice for our new leadership team," Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement. "His passion for collegiate athletics and his relevant experience will be instrumental in driving the transformation of the Pac-10. We are thrilled to welcome him to the college ranks."

Dixon will be responsible for all of the conference's legal and business affairs. He also will share leadership responsibilities for football operations. He will be based at conference headquarters in Walnut Creek, Calif., and will report directly to Scott.

Over the past six years, Dixon has overseen the Chiefs' legal matters, including player, marketing, sponsorship, stadium operations, special event and sales contracts, litigation and licensing. Previously he practiced law with the NFL, Sidley, Austin, Brown & Wood LLP in Chicago, and Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Minneapolis, Minn.

He is a graduate of Harvard Law School, the University of Massachusetts' graduate program in sports management and Amherst College.

"I've always been a huge fan of college sports," Dixon said in the statement. "It is an honor and a privilege to join an outstanding new leadership team at the premier conference in the country. Commissioner Scott has assembled a world-class team that is poised to take the Pac-10 to the next level of performance."

Debating Pac-10 expansion is no longer idle chit-chat. Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott made that clear during a teleconference with reporters Tuesday.

"It really is over the next six to 12 months that we'll start having serious analysis and serious conversations," Scott said about potential expansion.

Scott was joined on the conference call by Kevin Weiberg, his new right-hand man. Weiberg, the former Big 12 commissioner and Big Ten executive, was named deputy commissioner and chief operating officer this week.

Scott said he spent the first six months of his tenure listening to administrators throughout the conference. Now he's turning his focus toward action.

"The announcement of Kevin is really the start of changes and repositioning you'll see for the conference over the next 12 to 18 months," he said.

That time period is vital because the conference's TV and media contracts expire after the 2011-12 academic year. The conference needs a significant upgrade in revenue if it is going to keep up with the other BCS conferences, particularly the SEC and Big Ten.

And expansion could make the conference more alluring during negotiations.

"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.

It also appears that some sort of Pac-10 network -- it could be a partnership with another BCS conference -- will get serious consideration. Scott said Weiberg's experience building the Big Ten network was "very significant."

"A network is absolutely one of the solutions we will look at," Scott said.

Scott said there have been no serious discussions with any potential candidates if the Pac-10 were to expand. He only said he'd noticed an increased "curiosity" about expansion among conference members, which was, in part, inspired by the Big Ten announcing it was looking into expansion.

Still, it's fair to say a subject of seemingly endless debate -- expansion -- might be resolved within the next year.

The Pac-10 announced Monday hired former Big 12 commissioner and Big Ten executive Kevin Weiberg as deputy commissioner and chief operating officer. The release states:

Weiberg, who will start April 12, is currently chief executive officer of iHoops, a joint venture between the NCAA and NBA, formed to develop a structure and programs to improve the quality of youth basketball in America.

Prior to iHoops, Weiberg served as vice president of university planning and development for the Big Ten Network, expanding the range and scope of network programming, during early stages of its development. In addition, he served as deputy commissioner of the Big Ten Conference under Jim Delany, from 1989 to 1998, and was instrumental in the integration of Penn State into the conference.

Weiberg served as commissioner of the Big 12 Conference from 1998 to 2007, overseeing its transformation into one of the most competitive and financially successful conferences in the country. Revenues doubled during his tenure.

Note three things: 1. Weiberg knows expansion. 2. Weiberg knows setting up a conference TV network. 3. Weiberg knows what increasing revenue looks like.

Hmm. Does that sound like something the Pac-10 might be interested in?

A little "yes"and a little "maybe."

Good hire.

Here's an interesting article about Weiberg's decision to leave the Big 12 in 2007.