After weeks of attempting to defend the Pac-12 from Midwestern and Eastern attacks, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff went on the offensive as he opened the conference’s media day event at the Novo on Friday.
Kliavkoff outlined the Pac-12 contingency plan after UCLA and USC’s defection, explained why he feels “bullish” on the future of the diminished conference and where he hopes college sports will head next.
Here are the top takeaways from Kliavkoff’s Pac-12 media day.
No love lost
While Kliavkoff said he hoped for the return of collegiality in college sports, the commissioner still fired a few shots at UCLA and USC for bolting. Intimating that the decision was driven by money, Kliavkoff’s best chance for self-preservation was to steer the narrative back toward athlete well-being.
“Increased revenue can help us support our student-athletes but a singular focus on money will certainly cause more harm than good,” Kliavkoff said in his prepared opening statement. “Our long-term measure for the success of college athletics cannot be how much money we consolidate into 10 or five or two conferences, but rather should be our ability to support the largest number of student-athletes while still facilitating competition between schools and conferences. We should be measuring how many lives we can change.”
Kliavkoff also mentioned the effect of travel on athletes, a jab at the extended road trips that await UCLA and USC when they join the Big Ten.
He said he personally instructed everyone to play nice for the next two years until UCLA and USC join the Big Ten in 2024, but when asked whether reconciliation is possible, Kliavkoff didn’t appear hopeful.
“I think it’s unlikely,” he said after noting UCLA is in a “difficult” situation as regents will meet later this year to review the decision. “But if they came back, we will welcome them back.”
Going shopping?
Kliavkoff said one of the top three priorities for the Pac-12 now is “actively exploring expansion,” evaluating potential suitors based on media value, athletic strength, academic and cultural fit and geography from a recruiting and “student-athlete experience standpoint.” Did you catch the veiled shot at UCLA and USC?
He didn’t bother to hold back when talking about the Big 12, which commissioner Brett…