The Big East announced the hiring of Tim Brosnan as conference commissioner on Monday, an appointment that had been expected.

Brosnan, who earned a government degree and was a captain of the baseball team at conference member Georgetown, has a background in business, media and the sports industry. He also has experience in driving revenue, which will be a large part of the job.

He will become the sixth commissioner of the conference, replacing the retiring Val Ackerman, a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Brosnan will take over on Sept. 1 as the leader of the 11-member conference, made up of UConn, Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova and Xavier.

The conference’s board of directors, which consists of the presidents of the schools, worked with executive search firm Elevate Talent before selecting Brosnan.

"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 the Rev. Brian J. Shanley, the president of St. John’s and the head of the search committee.

"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.”

Brosnan spent 24 years working with Major League Baseball, rising to the roles of executive vice president for business and president and CEO as well as president and CEO of Major League Baseball Enterprises.

He will not be the first former MLB executive to lead a conference; the powerful Big Ten went the same route in 2023 with the hiring of another former MLB leader, Tony Pettiti.

Eleven times, Brosnan was named to the list of the “100 Most Powerful People in Sports” by The Sporting News. He was one of the three finalists to serve as MLB commissioner when Rob Manfred was elected to the position in 2014 to succeed Bud Selig early the following year.

Brosnan left MLB in 2015.

On the job, he oversaw all worldwide business functions, which included licensing, marketing, corporate sales, special events, MLB Productions and MLB Charities.

He also headed negotiations for broadcasting and media rights, sealing deals that exceeded $20 billion in revenue for MLB during his time there.

Brosnan also gets credit for the creation and launch of both MLB Network and the World Baseball Classic.

After leaving MLB, he founded a sports media consultancy.

Commissioners today must have the experience to navigate the new realities of college sports, which hinge on expertise in areas such as business acumen, negotiations of television contracts and development of revenue streams.

Brosnan has got that, and he has deep Big East ties. He graduated in 1980 and is the father of three Georgetown grads. He served six years on the university's Board of Regents (chair of athletics) and counseled former university president John DeGioia on matters concerning athletics.

In 2021, DeGioia charged Brosnan with analyzing how the implementation of NIL rules would impact Georgetown. His task led to the creation of Hoyas Rising, a private company that Brosnan developed and led as chairman and CEO through June 2025.

"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."

Brosnan joins Dave Gavitt, Mike Tranghese, John Marinatto, Mike Aresco and Ackerman as those serving as Big East commissioner.