Big Ten hires Tony Petitti as conference's next commissioner

Updated Apr 12, 2023 2:43 pm ET

The Big Ten has named former MLB and TV executive Tony Petitti as its next commissioner, the conference announced Wednesday.

Petitti will begin his tenure on May 15. He is set to succeed Kevin Warren, who was hired by the Big Ten in June 2019 after spending four years as the chief operating officer of the Minnesota Vikings. This past January, Warren left his role as Big Ten commissioner to take over as president and CEO of the Chicago Bears.

[What's next for Big Ten after Kevin Warren's departure]

Petitti has an extensive background in the sports industry, previously serving as the COO of Major League Baseball after Rob Manfred was named the commissioner of the league back in 2015. Before that, Petitti held the title of president and CEO at MLB Network, where he played an integral role in the network’s launch in January 2009.

Following his stint with MLB, Petitti served as the president of sports and entertainment at Activation Blizzard where he oversaw Esports, consumer products, and film and TV ventures. He also had previous stops at CBS Sports and ABC Sports. Petitti's work in the college athletics space includes helping create the Bowl Championship Series during his time at ABC, as well as working with the NCAA Tournament while at CBS.

The 14 current Big Ten Conference schools, in addition to USC and UCLA, who will join the conference in 2024, participated in the interview process and the final selection of Petitti.

"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. "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."

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