Utah football: Chris Hill, Pac-10 athletic directors to meet for first time Friday

PASADENA, Calif. — Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott's bi-coastal media tour for his league's football teams concluded with a gathering on the field of the Rose Bowl on Thursday.

Tackling issues involving expansion to Utah and Colorado, however, are just getting started.

Athletic directors from all 12 schools, including Utah's Chris Hill, will meet for the first time Friday in Los Angeles.

And the agenda is pretty full.

"We are going to dig into all the issues here. There are several different variables. How are we going to do division structure? How many games are we going to play? How is the football championship going to work?" Scott said. "We've got quite a lot to work through. There's not really a rush, but before we know it we'll be detailing 2011."

Another big question, he added, is when Colorado will be joining the conference.

Scott is expecting an update from athletic director Mike Bohn, who has been attending Big 12 meetings.

What the Buffaloes do will have an immediate impact on the expanding Pac-10. They are slated to join the league no later than 2012.

Answers involving division alignment, scheduling and the league championship game may not be known for a couple of months.

"What I'm targeting in terms of these decisions is October," said Scott, who explained that's when the next meeting with the university presidents is scheduled.

Scott doesn't expect anything to be decided this weekend when the athletic directors gather.

"This is the first time we're locking in for a few hours together," he said.

Informal talks have taken place one-on-one and on the telephone, Scott noted, including discussions with Hill and Utah's series with BYU. The commissioner, who is expecting to be updated on the situation, said the Pac-10 is sensitive to the matter.

"My sense from when I was in Salt Lake is that rivalry is something that is really cherished," Scott said. "Rivalries are a great thing. And so we'd be absolutely supportive of that rivalry continuing."

It fits into a league-wide approach of scheduling.