Pac-12 Networks head to leave

Lydia Murphy-Stephans, the first woman to head a national sports network, will step down as president of Pac-12 Networks in June, the conference announced Thursday.

The former Olympic speed skater plans to launch a media advisory company later this year and will act as a consultant to the Pac-12 Networks.

Under her stewardship, first as general manager and then as president, the Pac-12 Networks brought coverage to less visible conference sports, particularly women’s sports and so-called Olympic sports including swimming and water polo.

However, some conference athletic directors complained that the distribution reach and revenues from the 5-year-old operation didn’t measure up to the numbers attained by the Big Ten Network and the SEC Network. A big problem was the Pac-12’s inability to reach a deal with DirecTV.

“As Pac-12 Networks’ first general manager, Lydia’s energy and leadership were critical in turning our ambitious vision into a reality,” Commissioner Larry Scott said. He praised the networks for “providing unprecedented exposure to our women and Olympic studentathletes.”

With the Pac-12 Networks — one national and six regional networks — established and producing 850 live events a year, Murphy-Stephans said, “It’s the perfect time for me to launch my new business and explore all kinds of opportunities across the media landscape.”

— Tom FitzGerald