As Pac-12 struggles in football and basketball, Larry Scott's $7,500-per-night Vegas suite draws criticism
The Pac-12 basketball tournament will tip off in Las Vegas this week, and if Washington wins the title and Arizona State loses early, the conference might only send one squad to the NCAA Tournament.
That would be an embarrassment for the self-proclaimed “Conference of Champions,” which has been struggling in both football and men’s basketball for the past few seasons.
Amid those struggles and financial concerns, OregonLive.com discovered that commissioner Larry Scott was staying in a $7,500-per-night suite in the ARIA casino during his time in Vegas:
The Sky Suites two-bedroom Sky Villa at ARIA Resort and Casino includes 24-hour butler service and luxury airport transportation.
It has its own private elevator and 3,370-square feet of space. There’s a marble jacuzzi soaking tub in the suite, a fully stocked bar, and a powder room.
Scott’s lavish suite comes across poorly during the conference’s struggles, especially as they lag behind other power conferences when it comes to the revenue distributed to member schools. Naturally, media folks on Twitter were quick to pounce on Scott:
Found footage of Larry Scott cooking breakfast pic.twitter.com/6yZWcpFzJa
— Kevin Hansen (@kevintothemax) March 12, 2019
Maybe Larry Scott’s $7,500 hotel rooms will carry the ACC Network—as for the Pac-12 Network…
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) March 12, 2019
Next door to the Aria, you can book a Presidential Suite at the Waldorf Astoria for the next 5 nights for $2,500 per. A comparative bargain! cc: @wilnerhotline @johncanzanobft
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) March 12, 2019
Will this pressure force Scott to reconsider his decisions? Probably not, but it’s clear tensions are mounting out west.