Larry Scott leaves Pac-12 to the celebrations of USC, Pac-12 fans

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott. / Jason O. Watson/Getty Images
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A new era for the Pac-12 is coming after commissioner Larry Scott and the Pac-12 agreed to part ways on Wednesdy night.

The 11-year term of the oft-criticized commissioner will come to an end in June.

That joyful singing you hear in the distance is Pac-12 fans from USC to Washington celebrating the change.

Pac-12 fans are ecstatic about Larry Scott's departure

Even Matt Leinart couldn't help himself from using an exclamation point.

The raucous response on Twitter was driven by years of disappointment in the Pac-12. Leadership failures contributed to the conference falling behind other Power Five competition at an alarming rate.

Unfortunately, the Pac-12 now has a reputation to shake.

The Pac-12 had to make this move sooner or later.

This is a first step for the Pac-12, but even more important decisions are still to come.

The conference has an obvious place to start at least.

So what does this mean for USC? A new commissioner will have the task of rebuilding the legitimacy of the Pac-12. That means negotiating a favorable media rights contact and putting each program in position to succeed. Money will need to be generated and priorities will need to be adjusted.

The reality is programs like USC still hold the responsibility for their future as well. The Trojans should take the lead on setting the right tone for the Pac-12. The conference can't truly thrive until USC is competing at the elite tier of college football. It's up to the Trojans to emphasize the importance of a strong football presence.

USC does to be on the right track with new athletic director Mike Bohn working to provide the right kind of resources to the football team. The hope would be for USC, Bohn and the Pac-12 to all paddle in the same direction.

Next. The 2010s USC All-Decade Team. dark