The Pac-12 recently announced a new health and wellness initiative, aiming to keep students healthy and reduce risk of injury during contact sport practices. (Photo courtesy of the Pac-12)Beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, the Pac-12 will launch a Student-Athlete Health and Well-Being Initiative, the conference announced Monday.
The initiative is a result of a conference-wide study performed over the last nine months and an attempt to improve the health and safety of over 7,000 student athletes.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said in a media conference call Monday that this was the first step toward optimizing the resources the conference offers.
According to a press release, the initiative was unanimously approved by the Pac-12 CEO group, which comprises university presidents and chancellors.
The initiative will open several key features, including a student athlete health and well-being research program, a student athlete health conference and a head trauma task force. In the research program, the conference will spend $3.5 million in grants toward sports medicine studies and will offer an annual summit for doctors and researchers from all 12 universities. The head trauma task force will study concussion-related injuries in every sport.
Another feature of the initiative is a mission to reduce contact during football practices. Scott said many football coaches reported their schools were “self-imposing” toward player safety until the initiative was created. One of the goals outlined in the press release is to educate players and coaches on proper tackling.
Details of how the conference will limit contact is not yet available, but a final policy will be released on July 26 at Pac-12 Football Media Day.
No progress reported in Pac-12’s negotiations with DirecTV
It appears DirecTV subscribers won’t be getting the Pac-12 Networks anytime soon.
After more than a year of negotiations between the Pac-12 and DirecTV, Scott also said in the conference call the Pac-12 still hasn’t made any meaningful progress toward a deal with DirecTV.
The Pac-12 Networks launched last August with agreements from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks. Since its launch date, the Pac-12 has reached deals with other networks, including Dish Network.
“We are now well established in having a fair and very valuable offer for distributors,” Scott said. “We know we have a fair offer. They’ve said they don’t want to do a deal on the same terms that everyone else has. At this point in time, we are as frustrated as our fans are and hope that DirecTV will listen to their customers and our fans to stop depriving them of content.
“I don’t have any reason to be optimistic about it but remain very focused about reaching out to them,” Scott said.
Despite not having a deal with DirecTV, Scott said the Pac-12 Networks had a successful first year and believes it will profit. The channel will broadcast 750 live events in 2013-14 after airing 550 last year.
College football season begins on Aug. 29.
Reach the reporter at jnacion@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Josh_Nacion
