The Big Ten Conference’s search for its seventh commissioner is over. On Wednesday, the conference announced that Tony Petitti will be the conference’s next commissioner, replacing Kevin Warren who is leaving the conference to become the president of the Chicago Bears.
Petitti’s tenure will begin on May 15, one day following the final day for Kevin Warren.
The Big Ten’s search committee for their next commissioner was led by a team of four presidents and chancellors including the University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines, who was the committee chair as well as the University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel, The Ohio State University President Kristina M. Johnson, and Chair of the Council of Presidents and Chancellors and University of Illinois Chancellor Robert Jones. The Big Ten was also assisted by TurnkeyZRG in their search.
Petitti comes to the Big Ten after serving as deputy commissioner and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball under MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.
He also has an extensive background in television and entertainment in general. During his time with Major League Baseball, he was also the president and CEO of MLB Network. Outside of that, he also worked with ABC and CBS in their sports television departments. He also for a short while was the president of sports and entertainment at the successful video game company, Activision Blizzard.
We are proud to announce the seventh Commissioner in the history of the Big Ten Conference, Tony Petitti 👏 #B1G
🔗 https://t.co/SOUId4VXAW pic.twitter.com/4yFlKW3fDk
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) April 12, 2023
“At this important and transformational time in collegiate athletics, it is truly my great honor to be chosen by the Council of Presidents and Chancellors as the commissioner of the Big Ten Conference,” Petitti said in the Big Ten’s press release. “I am energized to work alongside the best athletics directors, coaches, conference staff and board in the country as – together – we continue to elevate the academic and athletic experiences and resources for our 14, soon-to-be 16, world-class universities with nearly 10,000 incredible student-athletes. Thank you to the extraordinary people and places that have led me to this next challenge in my career. I am ready to get to work for the Big Ten Conference community.”
Petitti comes to Big Ten at an interesting time for the conference. In Kevin Warren’s short tenure, he both negotiated the conference’s new lucrative television deal while also adding UCLA and USC to the Big Ten. Both schools are set to enter the conference in July next year. In the short term, the biggest issues on the table for Petitti will be the ongoing issues surrounding NIL as well as any potential further expansion possibilities.
The Big Ten’s new television rights deal that kicks in on July 1 of this year will run through the end of the 2029-2030 collegiate athletic year.