With just about three weeks left before Val Ackerman’s announced end of service as Commissioner, the Big East has officially announced her replacement. Tim Brosnan will be the new commissioner of the Big East as of September 1, 2026, making him the sixth commish in league history but just the second after Ackerman since The Reformation in 2013.
Here’s Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., the St. John’s president and chair of the Big East Board of Directors on the league’s new boss:
“In our search for the next
Commissioner of the BIG EAST, we prioritized finding someone with extensive experience in the area of revenue generation and who would best fit the mission and vision of our conference going forward,” said Rev. Shanley. “Over the course of his career, Tim Brosnan has shown to be a smart, highly-respected leader with high personal and professional values rooted in his dedication to the service of others. His track record of forging highly successful partnerships will be critical in this new era of college athletics. Tim is a relationship-builder and, as a former student-athlete in the conference, cares deeply about the success of the young men and women who represent the BIG EAST.”
I don’t know how I feel about the first thing out of Father Shanley’s mouth in that statement being “revenue generation.” It’s not not important for the conference to maximize the financial side of its existence… it just seems a little bit weird that it was the first thing that came across in a carefully crafted statement, that’s all.
Here’s Brosnan on his new job:
“The BIG EAST is one of the most iconic brands in college sports, and I am grateful and deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead the conference into its next chapter,” Brosnan said. “Together with our member institutions, and all of our BIG EAST partners, we will continue to elevate the student-athlete experience, strengthen the conference’s competitive position, and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead while staying true to the values that have defined the BIG EAST for generations.”
See? Didn’t straight up say “let’s all make a lot of money together” in there.
You can go read the entire press release with Brosnan’s long biography — Georgetown grad! Pitched on the baseball team! Fordham Law School! Major League Baseball business executive! — if you’re interested in all the details, but I think this is the key information for why Brosnan provides the Big East with a keen eye for development:
Two groundbreaking projects that Brosnan developed and launched were the MLB Network and the World Baseball Classic. A first of its kind, 24/7 baseball-only cable channel, the MLB Network was launched in 2009 to 50 million households. At its launch, it was the most successful of any in cable television history. The World Baseball Classic, first played in March 2006, was conceived and planned by Brosnan and has now grown to be the primary asset in the global expansion plans of MLB, while serving as a significant vehicle to attract younger and global fan bases.
Those are two pretty innovative launches to get to the finish line. I’m not saying that you should expect The Big East Network to stand up there next to The Big Ten Network anytime soon (or even at all ever), but I think having a commissioner that has an eye for what the marketplace needs and wants is a useful thing going forward as college sports continues to shift and develop as it has over the past few years.
My biggest question for Tim Brosnan going forward really falls more into the category of what the Big East loses by way of Val Ackerman’s retirement. I think it was helpful for the Big East to have the first commissioner of the WNBA as the league’s commissioner over the past couple of years as women’s basketball and women’s volleyball started to explode in popularity. Having the same basketball executive mind that was in charge of the early days of the W running the show as the Big East had opportunities to push forward in two notable women’s sports seemed to be a very good thing. Now Tim Brosnan joins the league as those same two sports continue their growth, and I am intrigued to see how the guy who pushed Major League Baseball into launching MLB Network and the WBC pushes the Big East into benefiting from that growth.
Got thoughts about the new commish? Fire off in the comments, that’s what they’re there for…..
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