Black Tennis Pros

In a move that will reverberate in both college athletics and professional tennis, the Pacific 10 Conference announced on Tuesday that Larry Scott, the chief executive and chairman of the Women’s Tennis Association, would become its new commissioner.

On July 1, Scott will replace Tom Hansen, who announced his retirement last year after a 26-year run in the job. Scott said it was difficult to leave the W.T.A., where he worked for equality in pay for women’s players, record sponsorship deals and an increase in worldwide television exposure.

Scott acknowledges that’s he’s not a traditional candidate, coming from outside college sports, but said his experience with both the W.T.A. and the men’s tour before that have prepared him for the job.

“They were looking for a different kind of leader from, let’s say, other conferences typical in this position,” Scott said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “They see this as a turning point for the Pac-10 and are looking for a new approach to promoting and branding the conferences as well as television and sponsorships.”

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