Where Does New Big East Commissioner Stand on PE?

New Big East Commissioner Tim Brosnan has not dismissed the possibility of a future private equity investment in the conference. Brosnan, a former Major League Baseball executive, assumed his role as commissioner in September. During his introduction at Big East Media Day, he emphasized his focus on commerce and revenue opportunities for the league.

When specifically asked about private equity, Brosnan indicated that the possibility of such investment in the future is conceivable. "Is there a role for investment in the Big East, somewhere down the road? I would think yes," he stated. "What that specific role is today, I couldn’t tell you. I’ve only been here 30 days."

Brosnan noted that the conference has received inquiries from various private equity firms. However, he admitted that as of now, no specific use case has emerged that would prompt the league's involvement. He further explained that decisions on such matters are ultimately made by the conference membership, and as CEO, he reports to the membership and board.

Only one conference, the Big 12, has signed a league-wide deal with private equity firms RedBird Capital Partners and Weatherford Capital. The Big 12 received a capital infusion, business partnership, and an option for school-specific capital infusion. The University of Utah was the only school to participate in a private equity deal at the school level, selling a portion of its assets to Otro Capital.

While the Big 12 is the only conference to finalize a deal, others have considered the prospect. The Big Ten explored a partnership involving a portion of conference assets in exchange for capital infusion from UC Investments, but the deal was abandoned due to objections from multiple schools. The ACC, SEC, and the American have also explored various options but have yet to make any definitive proposals.