The American Athletic Conference has hired longtime college sports executive Tim Pernetti as its next commissioner, the conference announced Wednesday. Pernetti replaces Mike Aresco, who transformed the league from the former Big East to the AAC.
“I am fired up to work alongside our board, conference staff, athletics directors and coaches as we continue to transform the AAC into a bold collegiate conference enterprise that promotes world-class academic and athletic opportunities for our student-athletes through innovative resources, brand partnerships and emerging opportunities,” Pernetti said in a statement released by the conference. “I am ready to roll up my sleeves and, alongside our conference community, get to work.”
Pernetti comes to the AAC with experience in both college athletics and the business side of sports. He will join the conference after a series of roles working for IMG, the leading sports marketing and branding firm. From 2015-19, he was the president of IMG College, a branch of the company dealing with building sponsorships and sales for universities. He spent the last two years leading IMG Academy, the high school in Bradenton, Florida, known for recruiting and developing elite athletes.
“Tim Pernetti is the ideal leader to guide the American Athletic Conference through this pivotal time in college athletics,” American Athletic Conference Board Executive Committee chairman Dr. Philp Rogers said in a statement released by the conference.. “His perspective as a successful student-athlete, a respected and progressive director of athletics, and his demonstrated leadership, innovation, competitive spirit, and business acumen across a number of professional organizations make him uniquely suited to build on the success of…
..
