Earlier this month, the Pac-12 named Teresa Gould as its new commissioner, replacing George Kliavkoff.
Gould, the first woman to lead a Power Five conference, is now tasked with no less than ensuring the organization’s survival, with all but two schools—Oregon State and Washington State—decamping for other conferences after this academic year. Her tenure officially begins March 1.
“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 this period of unprecedented change in college sports,” Washington State University president and Pac-12 board of directors chair Kirk Schulz said in a statement at the time of her promotion.
What is Gould’s background?
Teresa Gould joined the Pac-12 in 2018, having previously worked at the University of California, Davis, including as interim athletics director in 2015-16. She also spent time at Cal-Berkeley and the West Coast Conference.
At the Pac-12, Gould oversaw all sports as deputy commissioner while also leading diversity efforts before the league appointed chief people and inclusion officer Quashan Lockett in 2022.
What are Gould’s plans for the Pac-12?
In her introductory press release, Gould stressed her role assisting the Oregon State and Washington State athletic programs. “Working in collaboration with their leadership and our talented staff, I am excited to build a pathway for the future that allows their programs to thrive,” she said.
In 2024, those schools will play Mountain West Conference teams in football while facing West Coast Conference competition in all other sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, with the exception of baseball. On the diamond, where Oregon State is currently ranked sixth nationally, the schools intend to compete as independents.
Gould said she has committed to at least a two-year stint in the role, aligning with the length of those affiliate agreements.
“I very much look at myself as the commissioner of all of these programs,” Gould said during a media call Thursday.
On a national level, Gould is expected to stump for what’s left of the conference amid numerous ongoing conversations, including those around the future of postseason college football play. The Pac-12 has committed to continue to “sponsor select sports, sign media rights partnerships, and produce live events and content from the Pac-12 Enterprises studio in San Ramon, Calif.” Its existing media deals expire this summer. The Pac-12’s struggles to negotiate rights extensions following USC and UCLA’s departure announcements contributed to the conference’s breakup.
What’s next for the Pac-12?
For now, it is business as usual for the conference. In the coming weeks, Pac-12 basketball programs will gather in Las Vegas for their annual tournaments. On the women’s side, the group is one of the strongest in the country, with five programs currently inside the top 15 nationally. But after the spring sports seasons, the conference as we knew it will be no more.
Beyond that, it remains to be seen whether the league will attempt to bolster its ranks by bringing in new schools, or if it could merge with an existing peer group. In the meantime, a lawsuit in Washington has been settled, giving the so-called “2Pac” schools control of future decisions and revenue, including a reported $65 million in breakup fees coming from the departing schools.
“It’s really important that we have a top-tier conference on the West Coast that is for all sports that allows our student-athletes to compete at a really high level,” Schulz said.
