Where Does New Big East Commissioner Stand on PE?

New Big East Commissioner Tim Brosnan has not dismissed the possibility of private equity involvement in the conference. Brosnan, a former Major League Baseball executive, suggested during his first Big East Media Day that he sees potential for commerce and revenue growth through private investments. When directly asked about private equity, Brosnan responded that "yes," he believed there could be a role for such involvement in the future.

However, he clarified that the specific role of private equity is yet unknown, as he has only been in the position for 30 days. Brosnan also noted that the league has received inquiries from various private equity firms, but so far, no specific use case has emerged that would lead to involvement. The Big 12 is the only conference to have successfully signed a league-wide private equity deal with RedBird Capital Partners and Weatherford Capital, which provided a capital infusion, business partnership, and an option for school-specific capital infusion, though not an equity stake sale.

Other conferences, such as the Big Ten, ACC, SEC, and the American, have explored private equity options but have not yet finalized any proposals.