Pac-12’s Teresa Gould first female commish of Power 5 conference

The Pac-12 on Monday promoted deputy commissioner Teresa Gould to commissioner, effective March 1, to replace the outgoing George Kliavkoff.

Gould will become the first woman to serve as commissioner of a Power 5 football conference.

"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 president Kirk Schulz said in a statement. "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 was appointed by Schulz and Oregon State president Jayathi Murthy. Their schools received control of Pac-12 decision-making in December because the remaining member institutions are departing for the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC later this year.

Washington State and Oregon State have set up a scheduling partnership with the Mountain West Conference for football and will join the West Coast Conference as an affiliate member in 12 men's and women's sports for at least the next two seasons. A news release said the Pac-12 "will continue to sponsor select sports, sign media rights partnership and produce live events and content" going forward.

"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," Gould said in a statement. "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."

—Field Level Media