MGM executive George Kliavkoff is the new commissioner of the PAC-12.
According to a release from the conference, the incredibly high-ranking entertainment and business executive has been tapped to lead the PAC-12 after Larry Scott was kicked to the curb. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
George Kliavkoff to serve as new Pac-12 Commissioner.
A sports & media executive, he brings unparalleled expertise in managing change & driving results from roles at MGM Resorts, Hearst, NBCUniversal & MLB Advanced Media.
Full Info ➡️ https://t.co/MmlYtnYvN5#BackThePac pic.twitter.com/JSJbTzjL4h
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) May 13, 2021
Admittedly, I don’t know anything about Kliavkoff. In fact, I’d never even heard of him before it broke that he was being hired.
However, I know the PAC-12 has to swing for the fence, and all options have to be on the table as the conference slips into irrelevancy.
The PAC-12 went from being legit to being a joke over the course of the past decade. Now, Kliavkoff has been tasked with turning the ship around.
BREAKING The next #Pac12 commissioner is MGM president George Kliavkoff, per source. He took BAM and generated billions for them; did a big deal with HULU. “He’s proven he knows how to get shit done. He’s not Larry Scott. He’s gonna listen, collaborate and build trust with ADs.”
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) May 13, 2021
MGM is a gigantic company, and Kliavkoff served as the company’s president of entertainment and sports. Seeing as how gambling is becoming a gigantic part of college sports and the entertainment value has never been hiring, his resume seems to be perfect.
#Pac-12 makes George Kliavkoff’s hiring official.
Oregon president Michael Schill: “George is a a visionary leader with an extraordinary background as a pioneering sports, entertainment and digital media executive. … He is the new prototype for a sports commissioner.”
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) May 13, 2021
Now, he’ll have to immediately get to work because the PAC-12 is burning to the ground with every passing day. I hope he can save it because college sports are simply better when the PAC-12 is rolling.