George Kliavkoff, the president of entertainment and sports for MGM Resorts International, is slated to replace Larry Scott as the Pac-12 commissioner. The conference announced Thursday that Kliavkoff will begin his five-year contract in July.
In the announcement, Kliavkoff formalized his support for the expansion of the College Football Playoff and legislation regarding student-athlete’s name, image and likeness rights. He also maintains that the conference’s greatest weakness is its inability to find success in men’s basketball and football.
Kliavkoff’s focus on men’s basketball and football is especially pertinent to Cal Athletics. It’s been more than 60 years since either program won a national championship. While Kliavkoff hasn’t proposed direct solutions, his goals include increasing revenue and improving recruitment.
Under Kliavkoff’s predecessor, Larry Scott, the conference’s football and men’s basketball saw limited success. Scott plans to leave the position in June, with a year remaining in his contract.
Besides his tenure as a rower at Boston University, Kliavkoff has limited professional experience in collegiate sports. Evidently, that hasn’t stopped him from teasing changes to Pac-12 athletics.
