Here are a couple of thoughts I had from the kick-off speach George Kliavkoff:
I was excited to hear the announcement that they are creating a football committee that will be examining all decisions related to football including number of conference games, divisions, start times, non-conference games, etc. I think that this could be a good thing, and am excited to have the coaches have a say in these decissions. We need to find a model where we do not beat each other up to the point of losing invitations.
I also found it interesting that while they stated that expansion is not needed for the PAC12 to continue to compete, and that the barrier to entry is high, they are listening to those interested, and that they have had a number of schools reach out to express interest. He later stated, when questioned, that while they believe it is not necessary, it is a priority… and they will evaluate and work with those schools expressing interest in a very timely manner.
They were asked about what was being done to keep current members intact… it was stated that all of the stories regarding schools looking at leaving were based on absolute myth. He stated that in the rooms he is in, all of the members are dedicated to the league and its history and tradition. He does not believe that the PAC12 has members looking to leave the league.
They want congress to help pass a federal law that supports NIL rights but makes pay for play illegal.
They believe that if the conferences continue to consolidate, that our media rights will become more valuable and that there will be a lot of companies willing to bid on those rights.
While they support the CFP expansion, they want time to allow those not included in the decission to meet with their stakeholders and voice any concerns and reccomendations.