Who is George Kliavkoff, the new Pac-12 commissioner?

So you have no idea who George Kliavkoff is. You’re not alone. The new Pac-12 commissioner isn’t surprised Google traffic on his name spiked Thursday.

“I understand I wasn’t on any of the media’s shortlists for this role,” Kliavkoff said during a virtual press conference after he was handed the reins of the Pac-12 conference.

The executive has almost no experience in college sports, but sports fans, especially in the Pac-12, are familiar with his business.

Among his wide-reaching responsibilities as MGM Resorts president of entertainment and sports, Kliavkoff oversaw operations for venues such as T-Mobile Arena and Mandalay Bay Events Center, which hosted the Pac-12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, respectively, this year. He sat on the board of BetMGM, one of the three largest U.S. sports betting companies.

Sports

Pac-12 hires ‘outsider’ George Kliavkoff as its new commissioner

The Pac-12 hires George Kliavkoff, an MGM Resorts International executive, as its commissioner. He has no college sports experience.

May 13, 2021

Until MGM sold the Las Vegas Aces in 2021, Kliavkoff also served on the WNBA board of governors.

Despite the Pac-12’s growing ties with Las Vegas and the new commissioner’s background in the city, Kliavkoff said Thursday he and his family will relocate to San Francisco, quashing any speculation that the conference could move its headquarters from the Bay Area.

The majority of the 54-year-old’s experience comes from media. He joined MGM in 2018 after serving as CEO of Jaunt Inc., a virtual reality start-up. His other roles included co-president at Hearst Entertainment & Syndication, the first chief digital officer at NBC Universal — where he worked on the team responsible for the creation and launch of Hulu — and executive vice president of business for Major League Baseball Advanced Media.

Kliavkoff credited his success in business to his roots as a collegiate rower at Boston University, where he graduated in 1989 with a degree in journalism. He earned a graduate degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Kliavkoff will be tasked with rebuilding Pac-12 credibility and directing its next TV deal after former commissioner Larry Scott — who, like Kliavkoff, didn’t have college sports experience before coming to the conference — stepped down this year.

The hire was supported by a unanimous vote of all Pac-12 presidents and chancellors, the conference said. Kliavkoff’s five-year contract begins July 1.