George Kliavkoff addresses the timetable for new media rights deal, how it impacts expansion

The most recent wave of conference realignment brought about massive shifts in the college sports landscape, with major brands like Oklahoma, Texas, UCLA and USC finding new homes. In addition to massive movement from schools across the country, the conferences have made big changes with big financial benefit thanks to new television deals.

During an interview with The Athletic, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff spoke on the timeline for his conference to evaluate its option of adding more members and renegotiating the media rights deal.

“I don’t feel any sense of urgency at this point,” said Kliavkoff. “No one’s going anywhere, we’re all together, we’re focused on doing this. … We have runway to do it right, as opposed to doing it quickly.”

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Kliavkoff also said the Pac-12 will not begin talking with possible expansion candidates around the country until after a new media rights deal is agreed upon. In the changing landscape, it remains unclear how many more moves will come, and what impact the expanded 12-team format in the College Football Playoff will have on individual decisions by schools and conferences.

George Kliavkoff discusses potential for more Pac-12 departures

Despite reports earlier this month that Oregon and Washington met with the Big Ten about joining the conference, George Kliavkoff is confident they will stay put.

According to a recent article from The Athletic, Kliavkoff doesn’t see any more Pac-12 schools leaving for any conference after USC and UCLA made the move to the Big Ten in July.

“Listen, I think if schools would have left for the Big Ten they would have left already,” Kliavkoff said on West Coast writers Jon Wilner and John Canzano’s podcast.

Asked whether he still “guarantees” none of his schools will join the Big 12, as he indicated in July, Kliavkoff replied, “Yes, that’s still the case.”

The Pac-12 is several months into negotiations for its next television contract, which is set to begin in 2024. Although the conference is currently partnered with FOX and ESPN, many believe they will sell at least some of the rights to a streaming service such as Amazon or Apple.

UCLA and USC’s exit has caused much speculation about the future of the Pac-12, and it’s a legitimate question if there will be enough support from the remaining 10 schools to get a deal done. However, Kliavkoff is continuing to push forward and keep a positive outlook in spite of all the challenges.

“I don’t feel any sense of urgency at this point,” he said. “No one’s going anywhere, we’re all together, we’re focused on doing this. … We have runway to do it right, as opposed to doing it quickly.”