Ray Anderson not interested in leaving ASU for Pac-12 commissioner job
Jan 27, 2021, 9:40 AM | Updated: 1:36 pm
(Matt Bertram/Arizona Sports)
When Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott announced earlier this month he would be stepping down from his post in June, Arizona State vice president for university athletics Ray Anderson was one of the first names mentioned as a replacement.
After much speculation as to whether or not the AD would entertain the idea of becoming the next conference head, Anderson made it clear Tuesday.
While flattered by the notion, he’s not going anywhere.
“If I’m going to be in the Pac-12 then it will be here at ASU as president Michael Crow’s AD and the Sun Devil Athletics’ athletic director,” Anderson said on The Anderson & Healey Show that aired on Tuesday on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. “I consider this my home, this is my purpose. My wife Buffie loves everything about this community and our student athletes.
“There is a lot of unfinished business we have here at ASU and just extraordinary potential. There is so much positive happening here. I mean outside and inside of athletics, I just want to be a big part of that bright future and that impactful future that we really believe here.
“President Crow and I are in complete alignment and agreement that there’s a lot of meaningful stuff to be accomplished here both on and off the field. We made an agreement that we were going to do this together and I intend to very proudly and very faithfully fulfill those commitments.”
Anderson was first hired on as ASU’s vice president for university athletics in 2014.
Despite not having interest in the Pac-12 job, Anderson did interview for the ACC commissioner job filled in December, per The Athletic’s Matt Fortuna.