An investigative series describing financial and other issues of the Pac- 12 conference and commissioner Larry Scott by The Oregonian/OregonLive’s John Canzano was named one of the ten best Investigative sports stories of 2018.

The Associated Press Sports Editors, the national professional organization of sports editors and other national news organizations, recognized Canzano’s four-part series in judging that took place last week.

The series helped explain how the embattled athletics conference has fallen behind the other Power Five Conferences. The reporting changed the regional and national discussion about the Pac-12 and has resulted in fans, league administrators and other media entities calling for change.

Read Canzano’s four-part series on the Pac-12 here:

Part 1: Left out: How Larry Scott and the Pac-12 continue to lose ground in the college football arms race

Part 2: A look inside the beleaguered Pac-12 instant-replay command center, where Woodie Dixon is still a central figure

Part 3: Pac-12 football coaches continue to make far less than their Power 5 Conference peers

Part 4: Closing the door on the Pac-12 Conference headquarters: Is Larry Scott willing to make changes?

Canzano, who joined The Oregonian staff in Dec. 2002, is now an 11-time APSE award winner. The APSE award is considered the most prestigious prize in sports writing.

This APSE award was Canzano’s third in the Investigative category in his career. He has twice been named the nation’s No. 1 sports columnist in the APSE. He also has won an APSE award in the Projects category.

The rest of the top-10 in the Investigative category recognized by the APSE included pieces by USA Today Sports, Newsday, ESPN.com, The Boston Globe, Yahoo Sports, California News Group (Anaheim, Calif.) News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.), Casper Star Tribune and the Idaho Statesman.

The top-10 award winners in the Investigative category will now be ranked by the APSE judges. The final rankings are expected to be released in mid-March.