New Big Ten Commissioner Petitti excited about league's future amid new TV deal, upcoming expansion
Changes are coming fast and furious in college athletics, and Tony Petitti has stepped into the middle of that evolving landscape in his first year as Big Ten Commissioner.
Petitti replaced Kevin Warren in May when Warren left to become president of the Bears. He brings an extensive background in television having worked at CBS, ABC and the MLB Network.
Petitti met the media Wednesday at the conference's 51st media days at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis - where Michigan beat Purdue to win last year's Big Ten championship and this year's title game will be played Dec. 2.
That will be the final championship game between the East and West Divisions; with USC and UCLA joining in 2024, future Big Ten championship games will pit the top two teams in the overall conference standings.
Between new TV deals, major changes to the conference next year, the transfer portal and NIL money, and now the recent hazing scandal at Northwestern, Petitti had plenty of topics to address.
Here's a snapshot:
• Petitti said the conference has no investigations or punishments planned for Northwestern and is waiting to see how the school's internal investigations go before making further comments.
• While there's plenty of speculation of the Big Ten moving past 16 teams and inviting more to join USC and UCLA, Petitti said that's not something happening anytime soon.
Instead, it's finding a workable schedule that is obviously complicated adding two schools on the West Coast. Those football schedules are set and Petitti said he's happy with how those turned out, but it sounds like those Tuesday night USC at Maryland women's volleyball games are tricky. Go figure.
"We have significant work to do on scheduling of other sports, especially our Olympic sports, to come up with the best solutions," Petitti said.
As for the future football schedules, Big Ten teams will continue playing nine conference games with a protected rival, and with a rotating schedule will play one home and one away game against every conference opponent over a four-year period.
• Petitti said one of his biggest challenges is NIL and the transfer portal.
NIL - name, image and likeness - is designed so athletes can profit from their success. But Petitti said he's concerned with NIL money and promises being used to induce players to transfer at record rates.
"The portal is a priority," Petitti said. "These benefits and freedom to move came together at the same time. There's a difference between true NIL and NIL that really isn't NIL. They are two different things."
•The Big Ten begins new TV deals this year, and several of the announcers who will be featured on those games were on hand Wednesday to introduce coaches.
That included Gary Danielson from CBS and Todd Blackledge, now at NBC.
For years, CBS has been associated with the SEC and the 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon slot. That now will be a Big Ten game, to go with the 11 a.m. kickoff on Fox and now a prime time night game on NBC.
Preseason honors:
St. Charles North grad Tyler Nubin, entering his fifth season in Minnesota's defensive backfield, was one of 10 players to receive preseason honors from the media.
Nubin made the all-Big Ten second team last season.
Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton also was selected. Newton earned consensus All-Big Ten first-team honors last year with career-highs in tackles (62), tackles for loss (14), sacks (5.5), and fumble recoveries (2).
Other players chosen included three more from the West Division - Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean, Minnesota tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford and Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen, along with five players from the East Division: Taulia Tagovailoa, QB, Maryland; Blake Corum, RB, Michigan; J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan; Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State and Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OL, Penn State.
Preseason picks:
In the 13th annual preseason poll from Cleveland.com, which gathered 37 voters who cover schools around the league, Michigan earned 27 votes as the preseason pick to win. It's the first time in four years Ohio State hasn't entered as the preseason pick with the Wolverines now owning two straight wins in the storied rivalry.
Ohio State (8) and Penn State (2) received the other two picks to win the Big Ten. None of the West schools received a vote; Wisconsin edged Iowa for the top spot in the West followed by Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Purdue and Northwestern.