With the 2021-22 college football season peaking over the horizon, it’s time to look back on the events that transpired over the offseason.
New commissioner
In May, the Pac-12 named George Kliavkoff its new commissioner. Kliavkoff signed a five-year contract that began July 1, after a unanimous vote from all Pac-12 presidents and chancellors solidified the position.
Before his hiring, Kliavkoff served as the president of entertainment and sports at the MGM Resorts International, one of the largest sports and entertainment businesses in the world.
“George is a visionary leader with an extraordinary background as a pioneer in sports, entertainment and digital media executive, and we are delighted and honored that he has agreed to become our next Pac-12 commissioner,” UO president Michael Schill said.
Kliavkoff’s expertise and leadership are expected to aid his transition into the role of Pac-12 commissioner.
ASU under investigation
One of Kliavkoff’s first tasks will be navigating a series of recent incidents revolving around the Arizona State football program, as the NCAA is currently investigating the Sun Devils for a slew of potential recruiting violations.
The investigation was kicked off after pages of screenshots, receipts, pictures and emails related to potential recruiting violations were leaked to the NCAA in May.
The primary violation these documents support are a series of on-campus visits from high school prospects during the COVID-19 “dead period” that ended June 1. During this time the NCAA banned recruits from in-person visits to schools.
Sources said Arizona State consistently hosted recruits for in-person campus visits during this period. The documents include pictures of recruits visiting, as well as information regarding how the trips were paid for.
Sources said there were at least 30 visits from recruits over the span of months. These illegal visits happened so frequently that coaches began calling them “official visit weekends.”
ASU staff members became divided, as some have agreed to speak with the NCAA regarding the issue. The spotlight will remain on the Sun Devils going into the season; the investigation is set to continue into the fall.
Conference favorites and marquee matchups
For the third consecutive season, Oregon is favored to win the Pac-12. The Las Vegas Sportsbook gave the Ducks a 28% chance to win the title for the third straight season.
USC, Utah and Washington are close behind Oregon in odds to win the conference.
The stigma surrounding the Pac-12 is that it doesn’t produce consistent high-level contenders. The conference will have the opportunity to reverse this thinking with the non-conference slate this season.
Come September, the Pac-12 will play several marquee games. In the first two weeks of the season, Pac-12 teams will face off against various Power Five schools including Ohio State, Michigan, Texas A&M, TCU, LSU and Kansas State.
Stanford and USC also have matchups scheduled with Notre Dame later in the season.
Kliavkoff is vocal about changing the culture surrounding Pac-12 football and said, “We will make all of our football-related decisions with the combined goals of optimizing CFP invitations and winning national championships.”
With a total of 10 games against non-Pac-12 teams that finished in the top 25 last year, the Pac-12 will have the opportunity to make a statement while playing against established programs across the country.
New forfeiture policy
On Aug. 12, the Pac-12 modified it’s forfeiture policy in regards to COVID-19. Football teams that can’t play games due to COVID-19 protocols will be at risk of losing the game by way of forfeit. The Pac-12 hopes this rule will hold players accountable off the field.
