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Hickey: New commissioner Tony Petitti brings a different tone to the Big Ten
By Alex Hickey
Published:
INDIANAPOLIS — The loudest statement about Tony Petitti at Big Ten Media Days was not made by the new commissioner himself.
Petitti’s first address to the media as the Big Ten’s leader contained none of the bluster predecessor Kevin Warren offered in this same setting a year ago.
Warren rattled sabers and inferred that other collegiate conferences could be going the way of Sears.
Petitti took quite a different expansion tack, saying that the B1G needs to figure out how to squeeze 16 teams into a conference basketball schedule before it can begin to think about adding even more schools into the mix. (Colorado’s reported vote to move to the Big 12 may quickly change that calculus.)
While it might be a stretch to call Petitti soft-spoken, he definitely isn’t loud. That was made clear when CBS Sports analyst Gary Danielson walked to the dais shortly after Petitti and nearly blew out Lucas Oil Stadium’s speaker system. (Or so it seemed.)
Fortunately, Petitti’s job isn’t about voice. It’s about vision.
Specifically, the vision of millions of viewers who will have their eyes glued to television sets watching Big Ten games this fall.
“The power of broadcast TV cannot be underestimated,” Petitti said. “Last season, 27 of the 30 most watched college football telecasts were on broadcast TV.
“This season, the Big Ten will have more football games on broadcast TV than any other conference, a projected 34. When the new deal is fully implemented in 2024, we are projecting 45 broadcast TV games each season.”
In other words, the league will be doing just fine after ending its decades-long relationship with ESPN.
“Big Ten fans will move seamlessly from FOX to CBS to NBC on Saturday,” Petitti said.
Of course, Petitti is essentially kicking the extra point after Warren did the heavy lifting to get those contracts negotiated.
Though as previously reported, Petitti probably figured he would only be handling the ensuing kickoff. There were some unexpected loose ends, such as games Warren promised for prime-time slots without feedback from the actual schools involved.
And that is where Petitti is making the biggest difference early in his tenure. Not by talking. But by listening.
“He’s a great listener and [he’s] trying to figure out what’s best for the Big Ten Conference,” said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. “And really, that’s what we’re here for.”
Illinois coach Bret Bielema was immediately won over.
“The first Zoom call I had with him, you walked out of that Zoom and it was just like ‘OK, this is somebody who knows what he wants to do and has a path,’ ” Bielema said.
“He asks questions. I was just very impressed with the way he engages other people. The way he communicates. The way other people talk about him.”
In a subtle statement that says everything about the change in leadership styles, the first thing Bielema said regarding Petitti was, “It’s so refreshing to see him so engaged with our coaches.”
No one took any direct jabs at Warren. There was no need; we can read between the lines. Many viewed him as detached, aloof and mandating orders from the top down. And they could say that without saying it out loud.
Petitti seems to understand that he needs to keep his constituents happy. And that means finding compromise, because the constituency of Big Ten schools who don’t want to play night games in November conflicts with the all-important constituency of the TV networks pouring money into the conference.
“I would say overall that scheduling is the most collaborative process in the office,” Petitti said. “It doesn’t work unless the conference staff is working with our athletic directors on a daily basis to come up with solutions.
“How do you balance the need of fans when they’re traveling, and at the same time expose our programs to the biggest audiences — especially our national power programs that carry the load of most of that?
“We understand that. I think some of the historic things that have been traditional in the conference in terms of when teams will schedule, when they won’t, are carried forward. That’s forward and we respect that.
“Our job is to work with that to see if there can be exceptions and changes. But at the same time, understanding that those institutions are advocating for their fans and student-athletes. And we’re respectful of that.”
Translation: Petitti is going to make each side understand that they’ll have to give a little from time to time.
And since he listens, he’ll actually have a chance to thread that needle without upsetting either side too much.
None of this is to say that Warren’s 3-year tenure was without merit. His impact will be felt across college sports for decades.
However, that tenure played out like a trip to the dentist. It was something the Big Ten needed, but nothing you’d want to take any longer than necessary.
With Petitti in charge, it seems much more likely that Big Ten coaches and ADs will flash their smiles.
Alex Hickey is an award-winning writer who has watched Big Ten sports since it was a numerically accurate description of league membership. Alex has covered college football and basketball since 2008, with stops on the McNeese State, LSU and West Virginia beats before being hired as Saturday Tradition's Big Ten columnist in 2021. He is an Illinois native and 2004 Indiana University graduate.