9/10/2021 football Edit

Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff Talks Oregon State, Alliance, & More

T.J. Mathewson

BeaversEdge.com Contributor

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Two months into his tenure as Pac-12 Commissioner, George Kliavkoff has faced more than most people do in their career in the first two months of his job.

The Alliance, NIL, conference realignment and more…

Yet, when he showed up to the Valley Media Center with Oregon State Athletic Director Scott Barnes, he didn’t show it.

Kliavkoff is on the 8th school of his “listening tour” throughout the Pac-12, trying to get feedback from every school before he represents the conference at the Sept 28th CFP meeting.

“I’ve been blown away with the facilities and by the staff,” Kliavkoff said of visiting Oregon State. “Particularly, the student-athletes.”

The commissioner preached stability for his conference and college football as a whole as a step to move forward successfully.

“When we worked through our process very quickly of determining whether or not to add schools to our conference and for when we formed The Alliance, we thought it was important to announce those as quickly to help stabilize college athletics,” he said. “(Now) with the Big 12 adding four more teams and announcing that publicly, it helps college athletics (with stability).”

The stability The Alliance hopes to bring might take a little ironing out in regards to TV contracts and previously scheduled games, but Kliavkoff sees the effects of the new agreement taking shape quickly.

“The Alliance will honor all existing contracts and all existing historic rivalries,” he said. “That said, I see at least two opportunities to move quickly in football scheduling for The Alliance.

“One is (the Pac-12 and Big Ten going from nine to eight conference games and playing that ninth game against each other) and (the SEC possibly expanding their conference schedule with the addition of Texas/Oklahoma, they might need to get out of some non-conference games with the Pac-12).”

He added “(on the Pac-12/Big Ten point) I don’t see why that can’t happen as soon as next year.”

Tokyo Gold Medalist Jade Carey spoke to the media as an official part of the University for the first time after Kliavkoff.

He added: “I got to shake Jade (Carey)’s hand and congratulate her on her gold medal, after I said to Scott (Barnes) ‘That’s an amazing experience’ and amazingly, since I’ve been touring these other campuses, I’ve had one of those a week, meeting an Olympian.”

The Olympian and her massive social media following have collected plenty of opportunity in the newfound NIL discussion, something Kliavkoff wants as an emphasis for Pac-12 sports.

“I think the opportunity for folks who win medals in the Olympics and then come back and continue their education and still get payments for their name/image/likeness is new/unique and will be helpful for the student-athletes and their programs.”

Kliavkoff will make a short trip down to Eugene before departing to the midwest to take in both Oregon-Ohio State and Washington-Michigan on Saturday.