Big Ten Conference names Kerry Kenny as chief operating officer

In one of his first moves as Big Ten commissioner, Tony Petitti has named Kerry Kenny as the conference’s next chief operating officer.

A veteran Big Ten staffer, Kerry is in his 15th year with the conference and has worked across multiple departments. Now promoted to COO, he will be responsible for all television, broadcast and media rights negotiations and execution. He will now oversee the Big Ten’s content, digital and social media strategy, too.

Petitti has prioritized knowledge of the Big Ten and the conference in making new hires. Since joining in 2008, Kerry has worked with compliance, public affairs, sport scheduling and health and safety. He most recently served as senior vice president for television, media analytics and emerging platforms.

“Kerry is a veteran executive with deep experience in the Big Ten Conference and has demonstrated an established track record of providing extraordinary service to the conference, member institutions and external partners,” Petitti said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Kerry as he takes on significant new responsibilities within the conference office.”

Crucial period for Big Ten, Tony Petitti

The hire comes in the midst of a key summer for the Big Ten. According to ESPN, the new commissioner has spent much of his first weeks on the job working through unresolved details of TV deals in flux. That includes the conference needing to pay back nearly $40 million to Fox because former Big Ten leader Kevin Warren delivered NBC the conference title game in 2026 without the full authority to do so.

The Big Ten is still working through paying back Fox for lost inventory from the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NBC deal, which starts this season, is not finalized. November night games are typically not played due to school tolerances, however, Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State will all be playing November night games this season.

Viewed by many as a name to watch in college athletics, Kenny will play a crucial role in helping Petitti finalize these details in the coming months. If the Big Ten does expand, depending on the future of the Pac-12, he will be a leader in those discussions.