Tony Petitti opens up on hopes for first 100 days as Big Ten commissioner

Tony Petitti was named the seventh commissioner of the Big Ten Conference earlier this year in May following the footsteps of Kevin Warren, who notably shepherded the conference through the COVID-19 pandemic and expanded the league with the imminent additions USC and UCLA set for 2024.

Petitti still has some work to do in adding some of his own achievements within the conference to his resume, but in a sit down interview, FOX’s Joel Klatt asked Petitti what he wants to focus on and accomplish within his first 100 days on the job.

“That’s a great question. I think the first thing is just the staffing and how the conference office interacts with the member institutions,” Petitti said. “Making sure that we’re running on all cylinders, that we’re best in class at the conference offices doing what the members need, that we have that relationship of trust. And the athletic directors, the SWA’s, faculty reps, and of course the presidents and chancellors that I work for, that we’re all on the same page and working hard and there’s total confidence in what we’re doing at the conference level.”

Petitti served in various media executive roles before landing the job as the Big Ten’s commissioner, serving in senior executive roles at ABC, NBC, and CBS. He has experience working with the MLB, NFL, and the PGA Tour, but also with SEC football and March Madness at the college level, equipping him with a knowledge of how college athletics and the media worlds collide, which seems more important now than ever before.

The Big Ten already inked a $7 billion media deal under Warren’s tenure, as Petitti is more focused on making sure the conference and its teams are running smoothly on a micro level.

“And so getting that right early on was really important and looking at the functions and where we need to be stronger, what the challenges are, and making sure we have the best athletes in every position like you would on any team,” Petitti explained. “And so I think that’s the way I looked at it versus that internal setting it up, because the more that we have great depth there and strength the more it will free me up and senior staff to deal with some of the bigger issues right?”

There’s no doubt Petitti has his work cut out for him as he’s introducing two new teams to the conference and a new scheduling format in the near future, along with managing the new evolving changes in the college athletics landscape. But for now, he’s main concern is on maintaining a solid foundation for the conference.

“So you gotta do the basics, and look, we have USC and UCLA coming in. That’s a new challenge for staff and we gotta make sure we’re ready to do that in the best way,” Petitti said.