Tony Petitti To Replace Kevin Warren as Big Ten Commissioner

The Big Ten is expected to hire Tony Petitti as the conference's next commissioner, first reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Petitti replaces former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, who was hired as team president and chief executive officer for the Chicago Bears in January. Warren is expected to finish his tenure and start with the Bears on April 17.

Petitti has an extensive history in both sports and media. In 2015, Petitti succeeded current MLB commissioner Rob Manfred as league's chief operating officer. He also has baseball experience as the head of the MLB Network.

During his time with ABC, Petitti helped create the Bowl Championship Series, and he worked with the NCAA Tournament and NFL in his role at CBS. According to Thamel, Petitti is currently the co-CEO of the 33rd Team, a football think tank and media organization founded by former NFL executive and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum. Petitti graduated from Haverford in 1983 and Harvard Law School in 1986.

Petitti will take over as Big Ten commissioner during a transitional time in college athletics. Conference realignment has been a major topic in recent years, with UCLA and USC joining Big Ten and Oklahoma and Texas moving to the SEC ahead of the 2024 football season. Allowing players to transfer without sitting out a year, coupled with student-athletes' ability to profit off their name, image and likeness, has added a whole new layer, as well.

Thamel reported on Tuesday that an official announcement of Petitti's hiring is expected in the upcoming days.