George Kliavkoff's replacement arrives in Pac-12 arena as Oregon State and Washington State elevates Teresa Gould as next commissioner

The Pac-12 Conference officially got rid of commissioner George Kliavkoff earlier this week but there is already a decision regarding who will be taking his spot. Brandon Marcelo of 247 Sports is reporting that the Pac-12 Conference is officially elevating deputy commissioner Teresa Gould to commissioner of the Conference of Champions.

This has long been the rumor that the Pac-12 Conference wanted her to replace George Kliavkoff and it is now official, beginning on March 1. This is a great sign for the conference that is going to have to overcome a handful of massive obstacles that the conference is currently facing. Gould will become the first woman to be named the commissioner of a Power Five conference.

Washington State President Kirk Schulz provided a statement in the announcement of this move and talked about how Gould could provide different perspectives for the conference.

"Teresa's deep knowledge of collegiate athletics and unwavering commitment to student-athletes makes her uniquely qualified to help guide the Pac-12 Conference during theis period of unprecedented change in college sports. As the first female commissioner of an Autonomy Five conference, Teresa will be able to bring new perspectives and fresh ideas to the table as the industry works to find its way through this shifting landscape." h/t ESPN

Gould has been part of the Pac-12 Conference since 2018 and also was the interim athletic director for the California Golden Bears in 2015 and 2016.

Can Teresa Gould do better as the Pac-12 Commissioner than George Kliavkoff could?

The simple answer is yes because it seemed at times that Kliavkoff was a little over his head. Whether it be in terms of negotiations or another aspect, the lack of finding a suitable media rights deal put the conference in the terrible position that it is currently in.

Gould provides the conference with a bit of a different sense of excitement as she has been part of the Conference of Champions through multiple commissioners and being a female, brings a different perspective than what a male could bring to this position. She isn't an executive from a different company coming to take over a collegiate conference, Gould is exactly what the Pac-12 embodies.