Pac-12’s Kliavkoff jabs Big 12, touts future without USC, UCLA

Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff said his conference is far from finished, despite the defections of Southern California and UCLA.

Kliavkoff confirmed the Pac-12 is actively exploring expansion and lobbed several feisty jabs at the Big 12 during an eventful opening speech at his conference’s football media day Friday in the nation’s second-largest media market.

While painting a promising picture of the league’s future even after USC and UCLA leave for the Big Ten in 2024, Kliavkoff said the Pac-12 intends to keep its current members while entertaining new additions.

The commissioner also acknowledged frustration with the upheaval created by the

Los Angeles schools’ shocking decision, saying he had spent the past month“trying to defend against grenades being lobbed in from every corner of the Big 12 trying to destabilize our remaining conference.”

Kliavkoff responded to Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark’s recent declaration that his league was“open for business”in expansion by suggesting those moves could include Pac-12 schools coming his way, instead of the opposite assumption.

“With respect to the Big 12 being open for business, I appreciate that,”Kliavkoff said.“We haven’t decided whether we’re going shopping there or not.”

Later, Kliavkoff told The Associated Press that he was eager to speak up colorfully in defense of the Pac-12.

“I wanted to exude confidence in the conference, because that’s what I’m seeing from our presidents and chancellors and athletic directors,”Kliavkoff said.