Marinatto resigns as Big East commissioner
John Marinatto, only the third Big East commissioner in the league's history, resigned Monday, industry sources told CBSSports.com.
Marinatto, 54, has been the Big East's commissioner since July 1, 2009, when he took over for Mike Tranghese, league head from 1990-2009. Dave Gavitt was the league's inaugural commissioner from 1979-1990.
Marinatto was asked to resign by the league's presidents Sunday, sources said.
Joseph Bailey III, former CEO of the Miami Dolphins and currently managing director of RSR Partners, an executive recruiting firm, was named interim commissioner.
Sources told CBSSports.com potential candidates for the next Big East commissioner include current Big East associate commissioners Nick Carparelli and Tom Odjakjian, SEC executive associate commissioner Mark Womack, Pac-12 deputy commissioner Kevin Weiberg, Greg Shaheen, former NCAA executive vice president for championships; Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti and Kit Morris, director of college sports at Nike.
"I have been associated with this league for my entire adult life and have had the tremendous honor of serving as its Commissioner since 2009," Marinatto said. "Our recent expansion efforts have stabilized the Conference for the long term and we are likewise well positioned for our very important upcoming television negotiations.
"As a result, I felt this was the right time to step aside and to let someone else lead us through the next chapter of our evolution. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish and would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank both our membership and my staff for their unwavering encouragement, support and loyalty -- especially during this past year. I am extremely confident about the future of this league that I love very much."
The timing of Marinatto's exit comes exactly two weeks before the league's spring meetings will be held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Also, Marinatto has been representing the Big East in the BCS commissioner meetings the past four months to determine a new playoff format in 2014.
One of the uncertainties of the new playoff format is how much revenue the Big East will receive in the new plan. The Big East is an AQ conference, but in 2014 there will be no designations between AQ and non-AQ conferences so it's unknown if the Big East will receive the same size revenue shares as the other AQ leagues (SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC).
Also in September, the league will begin negotiations with ESPN and other networks on its new media rights deal.
Under Marinatto the Big East had been hit by several defections due to conference realignment -- TCU and West Virginia left for the Big 12 and Pittsburgh and Syracuse will leave for the ACC in 2013 or 2014.
However, Marinatto had brought in eight new members -- Temple, Memphis, SMU, UCF, Houston, Boise State, San Diego State and Navy -- to stablize the football side of the league. Temple will join in 2012 with the others joining in 2013, except Navy, which will join in 2015.
While Marinatto has received a lot of the public blame for the league's current instability, ironically Tranghese said it was Marinatto who saved the conference after Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech left the league in 2003.
"I was focused on how I was going to manage the dissolving of the conference," Tranghese told The New York Times. "While this whole thing was going on, John was off to the side developing the plan for how 16 teams would work. The whole plan.
Marinatto joined the Big East in 2002. Before that he was Providence's sports information director and athletic director for 14 years.
Marinatto, 54, has been the Big East's commissioner since July 1, 2009, when he took over for Mike Tranghese, league head from 1990-2009. Dave Gavitt was the league's inaugural commissioner from 1979-1990.
Marinatto was asked to resign by the league's presidents Sunday, sources said.
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Sources told CBSSports.com potential candidates for the next Big East commissioner include current Big East associate commissioners Nick Carparelli and Tom Odjakjian, SEC executive associate commissioner Mark Womack, Pac-12 deputy commissioner Kevin Weiberg, Greg Shaheen, former NCAA executive vice president for championships; Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti and Kit Morris, director of college sports at Nike.
"I have been associated with this league for my entire adult life and have had the tremendous honor of serving as its Commissioner since 2009," Marinatto said. "Our recent expansion efforts have stabilized the Conference for the long term and we are likewise well positioned for our very important upcoming television negotiations.
"As a result, I felt this was the right time to step aside and to let someone else lead us through the next chapter of our evolution. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish and would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank both our membership and my staff for their unwavering encouragement, support and loyalty -- especially during this past year. I am extremely confident about the future of this league that I love very much."
The timing of Marinatto's exit comes exactly two weeks before the league's spring meetings will be held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Also, Marinatto has been representing the Big East in the BCS commissioner meetings the past four months to determine a new playoff format in 2014.
One of the uncertainties of the new playoff format is how much revenue the Big East will receive in the new plan. The Big East is an AQ conference, but in 2014 there will be no designations between AQ and non-AQ conferences so it's unknown if the Big East will receive the same size revenue shares as the other AQ leagues (SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC).
Also in September, the league will begin negotiations with ESPN and other networks on its new media rights deal.
Under Marinatto the Big East had been hit by several defections due to conference realignment -- TCU and West Virginia left for the Big 12 and Pittsburgh and Syracuse will leave for the ACC in 2013 or 2014.
However, Marinatto had brought in eight new members -- Temple, Memphis, SMU, UCF, Houston, Boise State, San Diego State and Navy -- to stablize the football side of the league. Temple will join in 2012 with the others joining in 2013, except Navy, which will join in 2015.
While Marinatto has received a lot of the public blame for the league's current instability, ironically Tranghese said it was Marinatto who saved the conference after Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech left the league in 2003.
"I was focused on how I was going to manage the dissolving of the conference," Tranghese told The New York Times. "While this whole thing was going on, John was off to the side developing the plan for how 16 teams would work. The whole plan.
"John Marinatto did the work and did the plan. John is the hardest worker I've known."
To help stabilize the league, Marinatto recommended last October to increase the Big East's exit fee from $5 million to $12 million-$15 million. However, the league's presidents declined to do so.Marinatto joined the Big East in 2002. Before that he was Providence's sports information director and athletic director for 14 years.
