Pac-12 hires MGM's George Kliavkoff to replace Larry Scott as commissioner

[MiamiBuffs]

ByRILEY GATES Mar 28, 6:20 PM

Report: Three names emerge in Pac-12 Commissioner search

...

247sports.com

Some names are emerging as possible replacements for Larry Scott as the Pac-12 Commissioner, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. A tweet from Dodd on Sunday evening revealed that

• Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith,
• Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich and
• former NCAA Senior Administrator Oliver Luck

are all names that have been mentioned as the search for a replacement nears its end.

Dodd also reports that the Pac-12 wants a commissioner that, “has a lower profile,” and, “works behind the scenes.”

 

[Duff Man]

Hire. Oliver. Luck.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

The Pac-12 seeks a ‘more modern conference structure’ as commissioner search continues​

March 30, 2021 at 9:19 am
By Jon Wilner
Bay Area News Group

The Pac-12 seeks a ‘more modern conference structure’ as commissioner search continues

The Pac-12 presidents are open to hiring a commissioner who would transform the conference’s business structure and implement a model used by professional leagues, according to the job description published by the search firm assisting the process.

www.seattletimes.com

The Pac-12 presidents are open to hiring a commissioner who would transform the conference’s business structure and implement a model used by professional leagues, according to the job description published by the search firm assisting the process.

The description includes the following passage:

“While historically intercollegiate conference offices have been focused on sport operations and the business of the ‘collective,’ the Pac-12 is open to a more modern conference structure and approach which can be seen in several professional sports leagues.”

The specifics of that approach focus on assisting campuses with opportunities “in their unique local markets” and are spelled out in the document posted on the TurnkeyZRG website.

[...]

Multiple sources believe Turnkey, which has a well-earned reputation for secrecy, is currently in the vetting stage — no interviews have been conducted or finalists identified.

 

[Not Sure]

I keep seeing Oliver Luck’s name popping up in these lists of potential replacements. There has to be some smoke to that fire, doesn’t there?

 

[hokiehead]

The Pac-12 seeks a ‘more modern conference structure’ as commissioner search continues​

March 30, 2021 at 9:19 am
By Jon Wilner
Bay Area News Group

The Pac-12 seeks a ‘more modern conference structure’ as commissioner search continues

The Pac-12 presidents are open to hiring a commissioner who would transform the conference’s business structure and implement a model used by professional leagues, according to the job description published by the search firm assisting the process.

www.seattletimes.com

The Pac-12 presidents are open to hiring a commissioner who would transform the conference’s business structure and implement a model used by professional leagues, according to the job description published by the search firm assisting the process.

The description includes the following passage:

“While historically intercollegiate conference offices have been focused on sport operations and the business of the ‘collective,’ the Pac-12 is open to a more modern conference structure and approach which can be seen in several professional sports leagues.”

The specifics of that approach focus on assisting campuses with opportunities “in their unique local markets” and are spelled out in the document posted on the TurnkeyZRG website.

[...]

Multiple sources believe Turnkey, which has a well-earned reputation for secrecy, is currently in the vetting stage — no interviews have been conducted or finalists identified.

The Commissioner shall strategize, build, manage and optimize the Pac-12’s business prospects and financials, not for profit, but to help Pac-12 institutions be able to fund the broadest possible range of sports and services for student-athletes.

this does not sound to me like a shift from the Pac 12 focus on being the "conference of champions" .... across non-revenue sports.

 

[SINKRATZ]

this does not sound to me like a shift from the Pac 12 focus on being the "conference of champions" .... across non-revenue sports.

The ad isn’t going to say “make the most money possible to support football and men’s basketball above all else” and the commissioner has no say in how members schools spend the money anyway.

 

[PAC MAN]

this does not sound to me like a shift from the Pac 12 focus on being the "conference of champions" .... across non-revenue sports.

Cal takes its rugby seriously and UCLA just won the men's water polo national championship. I don't think the P12 is going to change anytime soon.

What I'm looking for is that CU will get a bump in pay that is large enough to have a varsity men's lacrosse team (and perhaps a softball team to balance the numbers for Title IX).

 

[Not Sure]

Cal takes its rugby seriously and UCLA just won the men's water polo national championship. I don't think the P12 is going to change anytime soon.

What I'm looking for is that CU will get a bump in pay that is large enough to have a varsity men's lacrosse team (and perhaps a softball team to balance the numbers for Title IX).

The economic damage done by COVID to the athletic department will take years to recover from. There won’t be any sports brought back, regardless of what kind of bump they get from the new contract.

 

[PAC MAN]

Can ACC keep up with SEC, Big Ten? New commissioner Jim Phillips faces a tall order

Jim Phillips faces a daunting task: Figure out how to bring in more money, have more football contenders and rewrite the league's image as the ACC looks toward an uncertain future.

www.espn.com

Seems like the ACC is struggling as much as the P12 to stay revenant as a P5 conference.

 

[Buffnik]

After reading about his ongoing legal battle with Vince McMahon, I'm now 100% in favor of hiring Oliver Luck.

Subordination accusations, Johnny Manziel and more: Vince McMahon countersues Oliver Luck

Vince McMahon has countersued former XFL commissioner Oliver Luck, who sued McMahon in April for wrongful termination.

www.usatoday.com

 

[hokiehead]

Can ACC keep up with SEC, Big Ten? New commissioner Jim Phillips faces a tall order

Jim Phillips faces a daunting task: Figure out how to bring in more money, have more football contenders and rewrite the league's image as the ACC looks toward an uncertain future.

www.espn.com

Seems like the ACC is struggling as much as the P12 to stay revenant as a P5 conference.

I think the play for the ACC to get to that level is to work a deal with Notre Dame to be a full member and use that as leverage to lure another big name like Texas or Penn State.

They don't get there with today's current membership unless magically FSU and Miami return to their historical top level, and maybe VT or UNC breaks through as well. Tough to see that happening right now.

 

[SINKRATZ]

After reading about his ongoing legal battle with Vince McMahon, I'm now 100% in favor of hiring Oliver Luck.

Subordination accusations, Johnny Manziel and more: Vince McMahon countersues Oliver Luck

Vince McMahon has countersued former XFL commissioner Oliver Luck, who sued McMahon in April for wrongful termination.

www.usatoday.com

That article doesn’t exactly paint Luck in the best light either IMO.

 

[PAC MAN]

Hire. Oliver. Luck.

Seconded. Football man who has worked for the NCAA & been an AD of a P5 school that also faced challenges when it came to building facilities before he got to WVU. Was president of NFL Europe before taking the XFL job. I think his name was in the running for the Big 12 commissioner's job that ended up going to Browlsy. He helped get the MLB, NFL, and NBA stadiums/arenas built in Houston which would be no small feat.

Impressive Wikipedia page.

Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Luck

The only question I would have about Luck is his media experience outside of that IMG contract at WVU. Maybe he got a peek at how the WWE Network was ran and that is something that the conference's presidents still appear to be interested in having for the P12. He can just hire an assistant commissioner who understands the media landscape for the purpose of getting a new media deal for the P12.

 

[PAC MAN]

 

[Creebuzz]

Matt Brown appears to be a moron.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

Matt Brown appears to be a moron.

Youcant make someone with potential accept a job to total **** show.

 

[PAC MAN]

Matt Brown appears to be a moron.

Don't know him...just throwing that tweet out there but he appears to have connections and he has brought up realignment talk within the FCS which is happening at this point. I guess Oliver Luck is not going to become the P12 commissioner after all. I already read about the WCC commissioner and she would make a fine choice because she's no stranger to good football as she worked in the Oklahoma AD and would understand how important football is. After she left the Pac-12 HQ, it seems like Pac-12 HQ went downhill.

 

[Duff Man]

Seems like a highly speculative premise that the Pac-12 is having issues hiring a commissioner.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Seems like a highly speculative premise that the Pac-12 is having issues hiring a commissioner.

Uh yeah. There was literally no mention of any kind of trouble the conference is currently having, and he decides to put that in the headline of the Tweet? It would seem on the surface like Nevarez is qualified, but nothing about her jumps out enough to warrant a comment like, "Don't overthink it, just hire her".

 

[Creebuzz]

Don't know him...just throwing that tweet out there but he appears to have connections and he has brought up realignment talk within the FCS which is happening at this point. I guess Oliver Luck is not going to become the P12 commissioner after all. I already read about the WCC commissioner and she would make a fine choice because she's no stranger to good football as she worked in the Oklahoma AD and would understand how important football is. After she left the Pac-12 HQ, it seems like Pac-12 HQ went downhill.

I just read his Twitter posts (tweets). I was unimpressed. Seems like he tweets for attention.

As far as the candidate goes, it would be a pretty uninspired choice to hire someone who (a) served under Larry Scott who is being bounced, (b) has a pretty short history as a conference commissioner, and (c) does not have any significant connections to media partners, at least not on the surface. Yet, Matt Brown says “don’t over think it”, just hire hire like she is some obvious slam dunk. (Don’t take that as an attack against you Jalapeño, just against the tweet).

 

[PAC MAN]

I just read his Twitter posts (tweets). I was unimpressed. Seems like he tweets for attention.

As far as the candidate goes, it would be a pretty uninspired choice to hire someone who (a) served under Larry Scott who is being bounced, (b) has a pretty short history as a conference commissioner, and (c) does not have any significant connections to media partners, at least not on the surface. Yet, Matt Brown says “don’t over think it”, just hire hire like she is some obvious slam dunk. (Don’t take that as an attack against you Jalapeño, just against the tweet).

He linked a Mecrucy News which means it was Wilner not him that made that suggestion. And given that Wilner is the most plugged in media member in the Pac-12 region, it sounds like the commissioner search isn't going that well.

 

[Not Sure]

I just read his Twitter posts (tweets). I was unimpressed. Seems like he tweets for attention.

I thought that was the only reason anybody tweeted.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

He linked a Mecrucy News which means it was Wilner not him that made that suggestion. And given that Wilner is the most plugged in media member in the Pac-12 region, it sounds like the commissioner search isn't going that well.

Did you actually read Wilner's mailbag?

 

[patebuff]

Uh yeah. There was literally no mention of any kind of trouble the conference is currently having, and he decides to put that in the headline of the Tweet? It would seem on the surface like Nevarez is qualified, but nothing about her jumps out enough to warrant a comment like, "Don't overthink it, just hire her".

I've heard her name come up a couple of times, so I think there is more to it than some are thinking. However, that article was ridiculous. This is a very tough job that relies on big time connections and understanding that football runs everything. I am fearful the presidents still don't understand this.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

I've heard her name come up a couple of times, so I think there is more to it than some are thinking. However, that article was ridiculous. This is a very tough job that relies on big time connections and understanding that football runs everything. I am fearful the presidents still don't understand this.

The Presidents aren’t dumb and they know what needs to be done. They’ll pick the person who will do exactly what they want for the conference.... whatever that is

 

[CUAviator]

The Presidents aren’t dumb and they know what needs to be done. They’ll pick the person who will do exactly what they want for the conference.... whatever that is

 

[patebuff]

The Presidents aren’t dumb and they know what needs to be done. They’ll pick the person who will do exactly what they want for the conference.... whatever that is

Most of the old presidents are out, but they did hire Larry Scott to begin with (and thought there was this massive market for Olympic sports when there never was), so I wouldn't give them that much credit just yet.

 

[Not Sure]

The Presidents aren’t dumb

Dude.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Most of the old presidents are out, but they did hire Larry Scott to begin with (and thought there was this massive market for Olympic sports when there never was), so I wouldn't give them that much credit just yet.

Dude.

As the article stated, they run multi billion dollar businesses that are disguised as higher education, where the AD is more of a nuisance than anything. They aren’t dumb. Do they care about sports enough to allocate more resources is the question.

 

[MiamiBuffs]