• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 11, 2025

Pac-12 Conference Hires Its First Dedicated Head of Football Operations

  • Seasoned NFL and college executive Merton Hanks will oversee all aspects of football administration.
  • Hanks’ hiring comes shortly after the conference canceled all of its sports through at least Jan. 1, 2021.
Pac-12 Conference Hires Its First Dedicated Head of Football Operations
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Pac-12 Conference has hired a dedicated supervisor for all things football, reporting to Commissioner Larry Scott. 

Merton Hanks, a seasoned NFL and college sports executive, will assume the role of senior associate commissioner for football operations, the conference announced on Aug. 20. Hanks will oversee all aspects of Pac-12 football administration, including all initiatives and programs such as scheduling, officiating, replay command center, operations, and the Pac-12 Football Championship Game and bowl relationships. 

He will also be the primary point of contact for all football-related items for athletic directors, coaches, bowl partners and NCAA administrators. “In the simplest terms, if it touches football, I’m going to be involved with it regarding the Pac-12,” Hanks told ESPN.

“Football success is a priority for our athletic programs and the Conference, and having someone with the college football and NFL experience that Merton brings to the table will be a great asset for our members and senior management team,” Scott said in an announcement. 

Prior to the Pac-12, Hanks served as the senior associate commissioner for football and baseball at Conference USA since 2016. He served on the inaugural NCAA Football Competition Committee and was later voted the second chair of the committee, following the chairmanship of Arizona State University Athletic Director Ray Anderson.

Hanks spent 13 years working for the NFL, with the last five coming as vice president of football operations and compliance. In that role, he served as the NFL’s compliance appeals officer, instituted safety and equipment upgrades, and coordinated departmental business strategy, according to the Pac-12 announcement. He was also co-chair of the NFL College Relations and Campus Visitation Committee and the lead liaison to AFCA, NFLPA, NCAA and NFL club administration.  

As a player, Hanks was an All-Pro defensive back and spent eight seasons with the 49ers and nine total in the NFL. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl XXIX champion. He played college football at Iowa, graduating in 1990, then went on to get a master’s degree in sports administration at Stanford. 

Since retiring as a player, Hanks held a number of radio and television roles, while also conducting speaking engagements around the country.

Hanks’ hiring comes shortly after the conference canceled all of its sports through at least Jan. 1, 2021, and said that it is looking at holding a spring football season. In recent years, Pac-12 football has struggled to gain traction on the national stage both in its on-field success and fan appeal — many lament the conference’s inconvenient TV contract that keeps some games hidden away from many viewers on its namesake network. The network’s current distribution deal is set to expire in 2024. 

In early August, a report surfaced that the conference is considering a loan program for its schools worth up to $1 billion dollars in the wake of the football cancellation. Football generates approximately $50 million in ticket sales and media rights alone per season for each Pac-12 school.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell during the NFLPA press conference at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

NFLPA Head Has Side Hustle With PE Firm That Can Invest in..

The NFLPA’s executive director is embroiled in multiple controversies.

Deion Sanders Rips ‘Bulljunk’ in CFB, Calls for NFL-Style Salary Cap

Coach Prime is frustrated with the new revenue-sharing era.
Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Head coaches Willie Fritz of Houston, Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State, Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia, Lance Leipold of Kansas, Sonny Dykes of TCU, Kyle Whittingham of Utah, Brent Brennan of Arizona and Deion Sanders of Colorado all sit on stage for a Coaches Roundtable during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star.

Big 12 Commish: Conference Is ‘All In’ on International Expansion

The conference had once planned a large initiative in Mexico.

Featured Today

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Athletic Departments Express Renewed Interest in PE in Wake of House Settlement

Schools now have more expenses—and are looking for creative solutions.
Sebastian Rivera (R) tf. Danny Coles 6:47 (20-3). Rutgers University Wrestling vs Princeton in Piscataway, NJ on February 18, 2022.
July 9, 2025

The House Settlement Is Being Appealed. It Won’t Stop Revenue-Sharing—for Now

The settlement’s approval on June 6 triggered an appeals process.
Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard KK Arnold (2)1 dribbles against UCLA Bruins forward Angela Dugalic (32) during the third quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena.
July 10, 2025

‘Kind of a Joke’: Frustrations Mount As New NIL Deal Approval Process..

Delays have already led to athletes losing NIL opportunities.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 9, 2025

Big Ten, Big 12 Commissioners Remain Far Apart on CFP’s Future

A decision on expansion must be made by December.
TSU Hockey at Bridgestone
July 8, 2025

Tennessee State’s HBCU Hockey Ambitions Delayed at Least a Year

The school will not launch the first-of-its-kind program as intended.
Louis, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Nicholas DeGraves (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Boston University Terriers during the third period of the Frozen Four college ice hockey national semifinals at Enterprise Center
July 7, 2025

Gavin McKenna’s Penn State Commitment Cements College Hockey Supremacy

Gavin McKenna’s Penn State decision signals hockey’s rising stars now prefer college.
A helmt is seen during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
July 7, 2025

CFB’s Revenue-Sharing Era Muddles Future of NIL, Adds PE Questions

Athletic departments can pay college athletes a combined $20.5 million this year.