George Kliavkoff gets unexpected support from a lone Pac-12 school; it's not Stanford or Cal

At a time when the Pac-12 is engulfed in turmoil that could lead to its collapse, Commissioner George Kliavkoff has received the support of a member school. This has offered some level of confidence as the conference attempts to stay alive in college sports.

Oregon State held a prominent role in advocating for the continuation of the Pac-12 prior to the disarray within the conference. The university continues to maintain that stance after issuing a statement on Friday to reaffirm its allegiance and commitment to the Pac-12.

In the statement, university president Jayathi Murthy voiced the Beavers’ commitment to safeguarding the Pac-12’s future. She also expressed confidence in the strides being taken to chart a fresh course forward, with Oregon State playing an important role.

“We are making progress in defining Oregon State University’s best paths forward. We continue to believe that preserving the Pac-12 is in the best interests of OSU student-athletes and the remaining universities, and so we are doing everything in our control to stabilize and rebuild the conference.”

Murthy said that OSU is playing an important role in the future of the Pac-12 and added that the university is ready for the challenge.

Read the full statement here.

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George Kliavkoff might sail the Pac-12 to safety

The overwhelming belief in the world of college sports is that the Pacific-12 Conference will likely not survive the current chaos it is engulfed in. The Pac-12 witnessed a mass exodus of its members a few weeks back after George Kliavkoff presented a new media agreement with Apple.

Many schools considered the deal not lucrative enough and decided to take the exit door and join other Power Five conferences. Oregon and Washington realigned with the Big Ten while Arizona, Arizona State and Utah, on the other hand, joined forces with the Big 12.

Despite the odds, George Kliavkoff can ensure the survival of the Pac-12. The league is currently working on rebuilding, which could see it add at least four teams from the Group of Five. This will ensure the remaining four teams in the conference retain their Power Five status.

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Will the Pac-12 expansion plan be a success?

Expansion appears to be George Kliavkoff's best option to convince the remaining Pac-12 teams and address their future in the league to ensure survival. However, that won't come easy considering the timing; the expansion candidates will also find it difficult to exit their conferences now.

Nonetheless, there's a belief that the conference can still work things out. On the other hand, absorbing either the Mountain West Conference or American Athletic Conference remains a possibility, which could help preserve its highly coveted Power Five status.