Pac-12 Appoints Teresa Gould as Commissioner

Teresa Gould has been appointed as the new commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference, succeeding George Kliavkoff, effective March 1 and becoming the first-ever female commissioner of an Autonomy Five conference.

Gould takes over a conference that’s down to two members after a mass exodus last year. UCLA and Southern California announced in 2022 a move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten and eight more schools followed suit in a tumultuous summer. Washington State and Oregon State are the only remaining long-term members of the Pac-12 and currently the only members of the conference’s board of directors.

Over the past months, Oregon State and Washington State announced both a football scheduling partnership with the Mountain West Conference and an affiliate membership agreement with the West Coast Conference. Going forward, the Pac-12 will continue to sponsor select sports, sign media rights partnerships, and produce live events and content from the Pac-12 Enterprises studio in San Ramon, California.

“I look forward to partnering with Oregon State and Washington State to secure a bright future for their student-athletes that allows them to compete at the highest level of college athletics,” Gould said. “We find ourselves navigating an extraordinarily complex time in our industry. The challenges we face must be met head on, with a reinvigorated energy to transform and forge ahead.”

Gould joined the Pac-12 in August 2018. As deputy commissioner, she oversaw management of all Pac-12 sports, including oversight of championship events. Prior to joining the Pac-12, Gould served in a variety of roles at the University of California-Davis, including interim director of athletics from 2015-16. From 2001-14, Gould worked in the athletic department at the University of California, Berkeley, where she held several leadership positions, including deputy director of athletics, external relations, and chief of staff to the athletic director.  Gould also spent eight years at the West Coast Conference where she served as associate commissioner.

“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,” said Washington State University President Kirk Schulz, chair of the Pac-12 Board of Directors. “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.”