LOS ANGELES >> Watching him on stage Friday at Pac-12 Media Day, you had to wonder whether George Kliavkoff is wondering why he took the gig.

The challenges that were on the menu a year ago when he was a surprise pick to take over as commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference — media-rights distribution, revenue production, elevating the conference’s profile — are still there.

But they’re side dishes now. Hors d’oeuvres. The main course is the existential crisis facing Kliavkoff and the Pac-12 Conference as we know it.

On Friday, in his first public remarks since USC and UCLA announced 29 days earlier that they plan to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, Kliavkoff offered no hints that he’ll prove to be a miracle worker.

Yes, in light of the L.A. schools’ pending departures, the Pac-12 is exploring expansion opportunities. The conference will evaluate, Kliavkoff said, “media value, athletic strength, academic and cultural fit, and geography from a recruiting and student-athlete experience.”

So, like, San Diego State? Kliavkoff wouldn’t specify.

He also spoke about those other plans, including made-for-television events and new revenue streams from things like the conference’s new baseball and softball championships. And with the Pac-12’s current media rights deal with Fox and ESPN, which were negotiated with little foresight by previous commissioner Larry Scott, set to end in 2024, he mentioned ongoing media rights negotiations, which he cautioned “likely take months to complete.”

To be fair, Kliavkoff – who arrived last year having most