The American Athletic Conference (AAC) has named its second-ever commissioner, as 53-year-old Tim Pernetti was tapped to replace the retired Mike Aresco on Wednesday afternoon.
Pernetti has a background in sports management and a degree from Rutgers University, serving as the director of intercollegiate athletics for Rutgers between 2009-2013, chief business officer for the Major League Soccer club New York City FC from 2013-2015 and president of IMG Academy high school since 2015.
In a statement, Pernetti said he is “fired-up” to transform the AAC and promote “world-class academic and athletic opportunities for our student-athletes.”
In 2013, Pernetti was dismissed by Rutgers after a released video of former men’s basketball head coach Mike Rice Jr. depicted him verbally and physically abusing players during practices. Pernetti was asked to resign by Rutgers administrators for failing to remove Rice from his post when he first received information about the abuse.
Pernetti will be tasked with guiding the 13-team conference, including Wichita State, through a transition period after losing four schools and gaining six new ones over the past two years.
