The two remaining schools of the PAC-12 Conference, Oregon State University and Washington State University, have appointed Teresa Gould as their new conference commissioner on Monday.
The news of Gould’s appointment comes after the conference announced three days ago that they would be moving on from current commissioner George Kliavkoff.
Gould will succeed Kliavkoff effective Mar. 1 and with today’s news will become the first-ever female commissioner of an Autonomy Five Conference according to a PAC-12 Conference press release.
“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. Working in collaboration with their leadership and our talented staff, I am excited to build a pathway for the future that allows their programs to thrive,” Gould said in a statement issued by the PAC-12.
Gould previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the PAC-12 under Kliavkoff where she oversaw management of all PAC-12 sports. Her duties included oversight of championship events, compliance, governance, operations and events, student-athlete engagement, and the PAC-12 Student-Athlete Health & Well-Being Initiative (SAHWBI).
“I am delighted that Teresa Gould will serve as commissioner of the PAC-12 Conference. She brings tremendous experience, vision, and integrity to the Conference and is widely respected by her peers,” Oregon State University President Jayathi Murthy said on her X account. “I am confident she will advance our efforts to secure a bright future for OSU Athletics. This is an important moment for OSU and for Beaver Nation, and I look forward to working with Teresa.”
Before joining the conference, Gould served in a variety of roles in leadership roles within athletics departments at the University of California Davis from 2015-16 and the University of California Berkley from 2001-2014.
Gould also spent eight years as associate commissioner of the West Coast Conference and three years in the TV industry with ESPN Regional Television with her focus being on conference coordination and media rights acquisition.
“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,” Washington State University President Kirk Schulz stated. “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. We look forward to her leadership as we write the next chapter in the PAC-12’s storied history.”
How Gould will serve her role as commissioner with a two-team conference is currently unknown, but more information about her role with the PAC-12 will become available at the end of the month closer to her starting date for her new job.
