After more than 9,000 live sporting events during the past 12 years, Pac-12 Network broadcast its final live event Friday night.
Play-by-play announcer Roxy Bernstein took the opportunity to deliver a touching tribute to the network during the Arizona vs. Stanford Pac-12 Baseball Tournament semifinal.
“So again, this is the last live event on Pac-12 Network. … Pac-12 Networks began 12 years ago. I was one of the first hires and have been with the network since the launch. Tonight, I have the honor and the responsibility to say goodbye.
“Over the last 12 years, we have put our heart and soul into more than 9,000 live broadcasts. I could not be prouder to be a part of a special collection of people, on and off the camera, that have worked tirelessly to bring you all of these events. I want to say thank you to my amazing colleagues, far too many to mention by name.
“But first and foremost, we need to thank you, the fans. Your passion and energy has always been felt, and without you, none of this would have been possible.”
To close out our final live event broadcast, Roxy Bernstein signs us off.
We are thankful & proud to have helped showcase thousands of amazing student-athletes & their excellent performances.
Thank you 💙#BackThePac pic.twitter.com/Fmi5uMPzLt
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) May 25, 2024
Bernstein went on to thank a host of others, from athletic administrators to sports information directors and, of course, the athletes themselves.
“We hope we did justice to your stories, that truly made this the conference of champions,” Bernstein said. “It’s been such a privilege to sit in this seat and be a part of it all. It’s been a fantastic run and we’ve had an absolute blast bringing you these games.”
The Pac-12 saw 10 of the 12 member schools depart for other conferences within the past two years, leaving only Oregon State and Washington State. One of several factors cited in the league’s stunning meltdown involved TV revenue, and more specifically, the revenue model the conference set up when it created the Pac 12 Networks.
The Pac-12 Networks will continue producing studio content, but not live events for distribution. With all the talk about conference realignments and billion-dollar TV packages reshaping the college sports landscape, it’s easy to overlook all the people affected by the changes. Kudos to Bernstein for paying tribute to all those behind-the-scenes Pac-12 Network employees affected by the changes.
Ready for 2nd semi-final of @pac12 Tournament. Winner of @ArizonaBaseball vs @StanfordBSB takes on @USC_Baseball tomorrow night for title. This will also be the last live event broadcast on @Pac12Network. It’s been a fun ride and tonight will be emotional. Enjoy it…we will. pic.twitter.com/UKEfRaTl2n
— Roxy Bernstein (@roxybernstein) May 25, 2024
[Pac-12 Network; Photo Credit: Pac-12 Network]
