Pac-12 hires MGM executive George Kliavkoff as new commissioner

With a four-year college football playoff drought (amongst other problems), the Pac-12 searched for a new commissioner. They found a new leader whose experience lies outside the industry of college sports.

George Kliavkoff, president of entertainment and sports at MGM Resorts International, was selected by the search committee on May 13 and will succeed outgoing Pac-12 commissioner, Larry Scott.

The entertainment executive served on the WNBA Board of Governors, managed the Las Vegas Aces and worked as the executive vice president of business for Major League Baseball Advanced Media from 2003 to 2006. The majority of his background is in digital media and production, working with networks such as ESPN, A&E, Lifetime and HISTORY. He also served as the interim CEO of Hulu and chief digital officer for NBCUniversal. 

Kliavkoff said in a statement, “I am thrilled to be the Pac-12 Commissioner. This is a challenging time for intercollegiate athletics, but I believe these challenges also create significant opportunities. I loved being a student-athlete, and I’m passionate about the doors that college sports and higher education open for young women and men. My job at the Pac-12 will be to help manage the balance between continued academic excellence, student-athlete well-being and an even higher level of athletic achievement.”

The five-person search committee was composed of members from the Pac-12 executive committee, led by University of Oregon President Michael H. Schill as chair, Kirk H. Schulz, Washington State University president and University of Washington president, Ana Mari Cauce. Accompanied by CU’s Chancellor Phil DiStefano and University of Southern California President Carol Folt. 

TurnkeyZRG assisted in the appointment of commissioner. The search firm, focused on sports and entertainment industries, has placed more than 25 athletic directors and recently placed the new commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Hired to the Pac-10 in July 2009, Larry Scott’s hectic 11-year tenure started with the expansion of the conference. In 2011, he brought Utah and Colorado into the Pac-12 and added a football championship game. The expansion helped secure a $300 million college sports TV contract, which was the most lucrative contract in history at the time. Scott also oversaw the development and launch of the Pac-12 network in 2012.

“It has been an honor to serve as Commissioner of the Pac-12 for the past 11 years, and I believe the Conference is well-positioned for continued success and growth. I look forward to working with George and ensuring a smooth transition,” Scott said in the Pac-12’s statement. 

Under Scott’s leadership, the conference remained a formidable contender in many sports. However, men’s football and basketball trailed behind the other Power Five conferences. No Pac-12 men’s team won a national championship, with only Oregon in 2017 and UCLA this past year advancing to the Final Four. Scott announced in January that he would step down. His last day as commissioner is on June 30.  

Scott’s shortcomings led to the hiring of Kliavkoff. Kliavkoff wants the Pac-12 to be more competitive among the Power 5 conferences and assist in the expansion of the College Football Playoff. He also stated that the conference supports Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation.

The Pac-12’s absence in playoff games hurt the conference’s performance and finances in recent years. Kliavkoff hopes to change this.

“The greatest weakness, if we’re being honest with ourselves, is the number of years it’s been since we won a football or men’s basketball championship,” Kliavkoff said. “We’re gonna do everything we can at the conference level to fix that.”