George Kliavkoff is on the way out as the commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference, according to a report from a Pac-12 Insider and a statement from the conference that later seemed to confirm the report.
On Tuesday, the San Jose Mercury News’ Jon Wilner wrote on social media that, according to a source, the conference had formally begun the process of separating itself from Kliavkoff.
The Pac-12 later issued a statement that said: “The Pac-12 Conference Board has given the departing 10 schools notice of a proposed leadership transition with an invitation to provide comment. We expect to provide more information following a decision in the coming days.”
Kliavkoff was hired as the conference’s commissioner in 2021, but his tenure was rocky, to say the least.
More: Pac-12 men’s basketball coaches mourn the end of ‘Conference of Champions’
Source: The #Pac12 has formally begun the process of separating from commissioner George Kliavkoff.
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) February 13, 2024
Statement from the conference office:
“The Pac-12 Conference Board has given the departing 10 schools notice of a proposed leadership transition with an invitation to provide comment. We expect to provide more information following a decision in the coming days.”
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) February 13, 2024
Pac-12 schools defected under Kliavkoff
In May of 2022, UCLA and USC announced that they would join the Big Ten Conference beginning in 2024-25.
Last summer, eight other conference schools announced that they would also join other conferences in 2024-25, including Arizona State, Arizona, Colorado and Utah going to the Big 12.
Washington and Oregon are joining the Big Ten, and California and Stanford are joining the ACC.
The departures leave the Pac-12 as a “Pac-2” with just Oregon State and Washington State remaining in the once-proud conference.
More: Larry Scott, Pac-12 executive board started the downfall of the once-proud conference
Future of Pac-12 Conference in doubt
In November, a judge granted Oregon State and Washington State a preliminary injunction in a legal battle with the 10 departing Pac-12 schools, giving the Pacific Northwest rivals control of the conference and millions of dollars in assets.
In December, the Washington Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal from the 10 departing Pac-12 schools, leaving Washington State and Oregon State in control of the conference.
The Cougars and Beavers have an agreement to compete with Mountain West Conference teams in 2024, with an option for 2025, but the future of the Pac-12 remains in doubt.
Kliavkoff was not able to secure a new media rights deal for the conference, which helped lead to the defections as many of the conference’s member institutions sought a more secure future in the other conferences.
More: Arizona State move to Big 12 gets unanimous approval, meaning likely end to Pac-12
Social media reacted differently to Kliavkoff’s/Pac-12 report
George wasn’t the problem. It’s easy to blame him. When you have a conference where the the two schools with the most influence are ASU and OSU…..Point your fingers at the Presidents. They weren’t paying attention for a long, long time.
— Kim Grinolds (@KimGrinolds) February 13, 2024
It should have been started when USC and UCLA announced their exit in 2022.
— Eric Hovland (@EricJHovland) February 13, 2024
I’d argue that process started with the inception of the pac-12 network over a decade ago and the fantasies that were spun early on. Poor guy.
— Sean Housley (@seanhous) February 13, 2024
The money the @pac12 spent on Larry Scott and George Kliavkoff only to have them run the conference into the ground is astonishing. I need a “30 for 30” on the demise of the 108-year old conference. https://t.co/ucoWAzB8e2
— SportsBusinessRadio (@SBRadio) February 13, 2024
Just like the case with Charlie Baker and Mark Emmert, George Kliavkoff didn’t stand a chance due to his predecessor, Larry Scott.
The hole was just too big to dig out of. https://t.co/Lme9WdcaVO
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 13, 2024
We can’t separate Kliavkoff from Scott, or from the ineptitude of the conference presidents, but it’s important to emphasize: He was dealt a bad hand and played it wayyyyyy worse than he needed to. He personally owns a healthy chunk of the Pac-12’s demise https://t.co/AyyYTqTFjs
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) February 13, 2024
True or False
George Kliavkoff didn’t ruin the PAC-12…
The Presidents/Chancellors and athletic leadership of the conference ruined the PAC-12 https://t.co/pujJJXUFgW
— Benjamin Criddle (@CriddleBenjamin) February 13, 2024
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff report earns strong reaction
