Pac-12 hires Who, er George Kliavkoff as new commissioner, gutsy move
The Pac-12 CEO Group made a way out of the box hire when they chose MGM Resorts executive George Kliavkoff as the next Pac-12 Commissioner.
Quick show of hands, when the Pac-12 announced George Kliavkoff as the conference’s new commissioner, how many of you looked him up on google? I did. The fact that members of the media and people like Pac-12 football coaches had to do it is disconcerting. Then again, as the saying goes, you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.
The last time they hired a new commissioner, Pac-12 Presidents broke a few eggs just like this; it wound up on their faces. The eggs even had a name, Larry Scott. Anyone who has read my articles about Scott knows that I believe he ran the conference into the ground over the last decade.
For the record, Kliavkoff is the president of entertainment and sports for MGM Resorts International. He has no college experience. So on the surface, it sure looks the Pac-12 made the same mistake as they did when Scott got the job in 2009.
Scott’s big resume builder in 2009 was that he ran the Women’s Professional Tennis Tour. How that qualified him to run a Power-5 athletic conference is still a mystery.
I can see why Kliavkoff was a candidate for commissioner. He has extensive experience with both digital media and sports. That’s a big plus. Among the highlights on his resume are:
- Executive vice president of business for Major League Baseball’s Advanced Media
- Chief Digital Officer at NBCUniversal
- Interim CEO of Hulu
- Ran the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces
Making the Pac-12 great again
Aside from his work experience, after watching the new boss’s presser, I’m somewhat optimistic. He said the things that I, and many other Pac-12 fans wanted to hear.
“I want to be very clear about my top three immediate priorities for the conference. First, we will protect and support our student athletes. Second, we will make decisions to optimize revenue for our member institutions, including renegotiating our media distribution deals. And third, we will do everything we can at the conference level to make our teams more competitive in revenue-generating sports, especially football.”
Part of his job as commissioner is to protect and support the student-athletes. It’s the second and third points that should grab the fan’s attention. Optimizing revenue and competing as a conference in revenue-generating sports. How? Kliavkoff has a plan.
“To support all three of these priorities, I want to go on the record that the Pac-12 is in favor of both the expansion of the College Football Playoff’s four teams and the implementation of consistent guidelines for name, image and likeness. We think that both CFP expansion and NIL legislation are good for college sports fans, good for our student athletes, and can be a significant competitive advantage for the Pac-12.”
That’s a no-brainer. Because the Pac-12 hasn’t been part of the College Football Playoffs very often, of course, they want expansion. You gotta be in it to win it. Name, Image, and Likeness rights for student-athletes will be the new norm. Getting out in front is a good idea.
Pac-12 Network
The network that was supposed to raise the Pac-12 above other conferences wound up as the anchor which pulled it down. Most fans of conference teams don’t have access to it, let alone the rest of the country. This is where someone with Kliavkoff’s experience comes in handy.
“With respect to the Pac-12 Network, I believe it’s part of the future of our media distribution strategy. Today, the Pac-12 Network has far fewer subscribers than any other comparable network and we have to fix that. I think there’s a way to fix that through structuring and relationships. But we have to get the Pac-12 Network distributed every place on every platform that our fans want to be able to consume that content.”
On-campus relationships
One of the biggest criticisms of Scott was that he came off as aloof and reactive. In my opinion, Larry Scott seemed like he was most interested in Larry Scott. It certainly appears that his successor is ready to take a different path.
“My leadership style is relationship driven. I’ve built long-standing relationships with nearly everyone I’ve worked with, or negotiated against across a 25-plus-year career in sports media, technology, and entertainment.
Once I start in July, my intention is to go on a listening tour. This starts with developing a deep partnership with the athletic directors and coaches. The success of the conference and my personal success in this role is tied to the success of the ADs and coaches. “
The Pac-12 made a gutsy move hiring George Kliavkoff, but is it the right move? That we won’t know for several years.
What do you think about the Pac-12 hiring George Kliavkoff as the new commissioner? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.