Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff complains NCAA changes lose sight of student-athletes

Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff didn’t wait for questions to begin laying out what he believes to be the main issue in college sports today. At Pac-12 Media Day on Friday, Kliavkoff denounced the league’s focus on revenue over the well-being of student-athletes. He went so far as to say that the changes occurring in the NCAA reflect a collective loss of sight in the student-athlete.

“When I look at what’s taking place in college sports, I believe we have collectively lost sight of the student-athlete,” Kliavkoff said.

“Increased revenue can help us support our student-athletes but a singular focus on money will certainly cause more harm than good,” He added. “The long-term viability of the enterprise relies on schools in many conferences being healthy and able to compete.”

Kliavkoff insisted that if the measure of success in D-I sports is focused solely on revenue, then it will become detrimental to student-athletes in the long run. The exit of USC and UCLA from the conference in 2024 is clearly top of mind. He said he has dealt with constant bombs from the Big 12 that are trying to further disrupt the conference.

Despite his displeasure with everything that unfolded, he also said he has instructed everyone in the conference to treat the two departing programs without prejudice.

Although the latest changes involving NIL and the transfer portal have been moves in a positive direction, the commissioner also mentioned he doesn’t believe in elevating athletes to the level of professional employees. He wants to increase the communication with and the involvement of athletes themselves in negotiations about their status and policies moving forward.

“The time to start engaging with our student-athletes on this has arrived,” Kliavkoff said.