Arizona president Robert Robbins, a major figure in athletics and conference realignment, will resign at the end of his current term. Robbins’ contract expires in 2026, but he expressed openness to moving on sooner if the board appoints a successor. A national search for his replacement will begin immediately.
Robbins was one of the most vocal figures during the collapse of the Pac-12; Arizona was one of four schools to depart the dying league for the Big 12 in 2024. After details of a proposed contract with Apple TV came to light that created commissions based on subscription numbers, Robbins compared the deal to selling “girl scout cookies.”
After Colorado announced its intention to join the Big 12 one week earlier, Arizona followed after a disastrous meeting during which former Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff presented the Apple TV deal. Four other schools left for the Big Ten, while two headed to the ACC. Only Oregon State and Washington State remain without a long-term conference home. Arizona had been in the Pac-12 Conference since 1978.
“The past 18 months have been difficult for our university, but I am confident that our passion and commitment for doing what is right, as well as our thorough and thoughtful analysis to address our ongoing challenges, will bring our institution greater stability in short order,” Robbins said in a statement.
Robbins’ decision comes less than a year after the university discovered an accounting modeling error created a $240 million deficit in the university budget. Athletics have taken center stage in the scandal. The school gave the athletic department a $55 million loan to survive the pandemic, but the athletic department has been slow to honor the repayment agreement. Robbins noted in a…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/arizona-president-robert-robbins-key-figure-in-conference-realignment-stepping-down-from-post/
Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2024-04-02 22:01:47
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