The embattled Pac-12 US collegiate sports conference has unveiled Teresa Gould as its new commissioner.
This comes after the announcement earlier this week that incumbent George Kliavkoff, who has served as commissioner since July 2021, will stand down at the end of February.
Gould - currently deputy commissioner - is set to become the first female commissioner of a major ‘power five' conference in the US, and will begin in that role on March 1.
This change at the helm comes with the Pac-12 currently reduced in size to only two colleges - Oregon State University and Washington State University. These colleges now have full control of the decision-making process for the league after settling a legal dispute with 10 former members (who have now defected) last December.
It is also still searching for a new domestic broadcast deal for the 2024-25 collegiate season.
The Pac-12's former members have split across the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC conferences.
Gould has been at the Pac-12 since 2018, and since then has overseen the conference’s governance, operations, and championship events.
In a statement following her appointment, Washington State president Kirk Schulz said: “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.
"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.”
Gould added: "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 while enjoying the benefits of a quality campus experience.
“We find ourselves navigating an extraordinarily complex time in our industry. The challenges we face must be met head-on, with reinvigorated energy to transform and forge ahead.”
In October last year, the conference renewed and expanded its tie-up with sport-focused platform FuboTV.
Fubo has been partnered with the Pac-12 Conference since August 2017, with the service hosting the Pac-12 Network national channel.
The expansion of the relationship revolves around Fubo becoming a Pac-12 marketing partner - the streaming platform's first marketing deal with a collegiate sports entity.
