George Kliavkoff (born 1967) is an American business executive and former college athletic administrator best known for serving as the commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference from 2021 to 2024. Before his tenure at the Pac-12, Kliavkoff held leadership roles across the sports and entertainment industries, including positions at Major League Baseball, NBCUniversal, Hulu, A&E Networks, and MGM Resorts International.
Kliavkoff began his career as a lawyer after graduating from Boston University in 1989 and earning a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia in 1993. He transitioned into sports and media, serving as executive vice president for business at MLB Advanced Media and later as chief digital officer at NBCUniversal and Hulu. In 2016, he became CEO of Jaunt XR, a virtual reality content studio, before moving to Las Vegas in 2018 to become president of entertainment and sports at MGM Resorts International. There, he also served on boards for T-Mobile Arena, Cirque du Soleil, and BetMGM, and participated in the WNBA’s Board of Governors while overseeing MGM’s sale of the Las Vegas Aces basketball team.
In May 2021, Kliavkoff was appointed Pac-12 commissioner, taking over a conference facing significant challenges including member dissatisfaction, declining television revenues, and strained relationships with the College Football Playoff. During his leadership, Kliavkoff sought to stabilize the conference by forming alliances with the Big Ten and ACC, aiming to improve scheduling and membership stability. However, his tenure was marked by an exodus of schools: USC, UCLA, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, California, and Stanford all announced plans to leave the Pac-12 between 2022 and 2024, severely weakening the conference.
Kliavkoff presented a media-rights deal with Apple to remaining members in hopes of retaining membership, but the offer was widely criticized and insufficient to prevent further defections. The remaining schools eventually engaged in legal action against the Pac-12 and Kliavkoff over control of the conference. In February 2024, the Pac-12 board announced Teresa Gould as his successor.
George Kliavkoff’s career spans law, digital media, sports entertainment, and college athletics administration, marked by leadership roles across prominent organisations. After earning a law degree from the University of Virginia, Kliavkoff began his professional journey as a lawyer before transitioning into sports and media.
In 2003, he joined Major League Baseball as Executive Vice President for business at MLB Advanced Media, where he contributed to the growth of digital content and media rights. He then moved to NBCUniversal as Chief Digital Officer, where he also held a leadership position at Hulu, focusing on expanding digital streaming services. In 2009, Kliavkoff joined Hearst Communications, serving for seven years before becoming CEO of Jaunt XR in 2016, a virtual reality content studio.
Kliavkoff’s shift to live entertainment and sports came in 2018 when he was appointed President of Entertainment and Sports at MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas. In this role, he oversaw significant properties such as T-Mobile Arena and Cirque du Soleil and served on the WNBA Board of Governors as the representative for the Las Vegas Aces. He played a key role in managing MGM’s sale of the Aces to Mark Davis, owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
In 2021, Kliavkoff transitioned to collegiate athletics administration as commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference. Taking the helm amid turbulent times, he worked to stabilise the conference through alliances with other major conferences and efforts to improve media rights deals. Despite facing major membership departures and revenue challenges, his tenure highlighted the complex and evolving nature of college sports administration.
George Kliavkoff’s career has been deeply rooted in the American sports and entertainment landscape, with a focus on domestic organisations rather than international ventures. His leadership has spanned some of the most prominent U.S.-based entities: from Major League Baseball to MGM Resorts and, most recently, collegiate athletics with the Pac-12 Conference. While he hasn’t ventured into global sports administration, his impact within the United States has been significant, shaping digital media, live entertainment, and college sports at the highest levels. Unlike executives operating on a global stage, Kliavkoff’s influence remains firmly anchored in shaping the future of American sports and entertainment industries.
George Kliavkoff is a sports executive and administrator rather than an athlete, so he does not have a "style of play" in the traditional sense. However, if considering his professional approach, Kliavkoff’s style can be characterised by strategic leadership, innovation, and adaptability. He is known for navigating complex challenges, fostering collaboration across diverse stakeholders, and embracing digital transformation within sports and entertainment. His tenure at various organisations reflects a focus on modernising business models, enhancing fan engagement, and driving growth through innovative partnerships and media rights deals.
George Kliavkoff grew up in Scarsdale, New York, and maintains a strong connection to his roots there. He is married to his wife, Ellen, and together they have two children. Despite the high-profile nature of his career in sports and entertainment, Kliavkoff is known to value family life and keeps his personal affairs relatively private. His commitment to balancing professional responsibilities with family priorities reflects a grounded approach amidst the fast-paced environments in which he operates.
George Kliavkoff’s legacy is defined by his extensive influence across sports, media, and entertainment, marked by his leadership in both digital innovation and collegiate athletics administration. Throughout his career, he has been a driving force behind the evolution of sports media, helping to modernise how fans engage with content through his work with MLB Advanced Media, NBCUniversal, and Hulu. As president of entertainment and sports at MGM Resorts, he expanded the intersection of live events and sports entertainment, contributing to the growth of Las Vegas as a major sports hub.
His tenure as Pac-12 commissioner, though challenged by unprecedented conference realignments and institutional departures, highlighted his willingness to navigate complex industry disruptions and pursue strategic alliances aimed at stabilising college sports. While his time at the Pac-12 was met with mixed reviews, it underscored the rapidly shifting landscape of collegiate athletics and the difficulties of leadership amid such change.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Kliavkoff | Wikipedia
https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-05-13/who-is-george-kliavkoff-the-new-pac-12-commissioner | LA Times
https://www.johncanzano.com/p/canzano-george-kliavkoffs-first-year | John Canzano
https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/5/13/22434526/who-is-george-kliavkoff-of-mgm-resorts-pac-12-new-commissioner-larry-scott/ | Deseret
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/us/pac-12-commissioner-george-kliavkoff.html | New York Times
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/i-love-all-my-children-equally-but-new-pac-12-commissioner-george-kliavkoff-has-history-with-the-washington-huskies/ Seattle Times
https://247sports.com/college/washington-state/article/inept-and-traitorous-george-kliavkoff-finally-gets-what-he-deserves-224285167/ | 247 Sports
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12794004/ | IMBd
https://24.fandom.com/wiki/George_Kliavkoff | 24 Fandom
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