Takeaways From Commissioner Tony Petitti at Big Ten Football Media Days

Petitti discussed conference expansion, roster sizes, the Jim Harbaugh suspension and more in Indianapolis.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks to the media during the Big 10 Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

The novelties are glaring for Tony Pettiti in his second Big Ten Media Days as the conference’s commissioner. There are four new teams, all of which come from the West Coast. There’s an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff starting this season. And perhaps most significantly for Pettiti, the Big Ten represents the reigning national champion for the first time since 2015.

It’ll be an exciting fall for Pettiti and the conference but one likely to bring challenges. Pettiti addressed some of the work ahead of him and reflected on the previous year on Tuesday. Here are four takeaways from his press conference in Indianapolis.

No plans to expand, for now

Having added USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, the Big Ten sits at 18 teams, making it the nation’s largest conference. And despite potential interest from Florida State and Clemson, which are both suing the ACC, Pettiti doesn’t appear rushed to grow the conference further. For now.

“We're focused on the 18 right now. That's what we're focused on,” Pettiti said. “You know, a lot of work has been done to integrate USC, UCLA, and we started that work over immediately when we added Oregon and Washington. So I think we're really comfortable where we are. We’ve got to get this conference right. That’s what the focus is.”

Penn State is set to play three new conference opponents this season — the Bruins on Oct. 5, the Trojans on Oct. 12 and the Huskies on Nov. 9.

An opaque answer on roster limits

Scholarship increases and roster limits are coming to college football as part of a settlement in the ongoing House v. NCAA case, which Pettiti said he expects to be filed this week. 

For decades, 85 scholarships has been the customary limit a program could offer. As reported by multiple outlets, conference commissioners are likely to increase that number to 105, which would serve as a previously non-existent roster limit. Penn State currently has 125 players on its roster, including scholarship players and walk-ons. Petitti wouldn’t offer a number that the Big Ten is considering. 

“I think we're close to coming to a consensus with all the conferences,” Petitti said. “I'm not going to argue. I think, you know, we were maybe on the higher end, and the reporting has been accurate about that.

“We're doing something for the first time, right? We're going into a season where the season is going to be longer. The playoff has expanded, there’s more games. And, you know, we're making decisions and we're sort of gonna have to see how it plays out. But I think we've been comfortable with the conversations.”

On Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal

It’s been nearly eight months since Connor Stallions resigned from his position as a Michigan staffer, prompting an NCAA investigation into the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal. 

Michigan since won a national championship, and former head coach Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL, Meanwhile, Netlflix will release a documentary Aug. 27 about Stallions, and the NCAA still has not concluded its investigation. 

Pettiti said he’s unsure what the timetable could be on “any final determination, whatever that might be,” but reflected on the process of suspending Harbaugh for three games in the middle of last season. Harbaugh was in State College for the Wolverines’ game with the Nittany Lions when he received the three-game suspension to end the regular season.

“It was a collaborative process inside the conference office with staff first trying to understand and gather information,” Petitti said. “There was a lot of cooperation with the NCAA in terms of the information that we had access to working with our administrators and ultimately our presidents and chancellors, as well.”

Lucas Oil to retain Big Ten title game

Pettiti announced that Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis would continue to host the Big Ten Championship for the next four years. The stadium has hosted the game since 2011.

Despite the conference title game’s decade-long history in Indianapolis, Pettiti said he’s keeping an open mind in potentially expanding the game geographically in line with the growing Big Ten.

“Given the footprint of the conference, you know, the cities that are now interested in hosting Big Ten Championships has clearly expanded," Petitti said. "I think we're really comfortable with the decision to stay in football here in Indianapolis for the next four seasons. We think it's the right thing to do. Having said that, I think you're going to see us begin to expand. I think it's really important to make sure that markets around the country get to experience Big Ten championships.”

More Penn State Football

Once again, Pitt's Pat Narduzzi says, 'We'd love to play Penn State'

Penn State unveils Beaver Stadium improvements for 2024 season

Larger playoff would have changed Penn State "dramatically," James Franklin says

Seth Engle has covered Penn State football and men’s basketball for the past four years, most recently serving as the football editor of the Daily Collegian. His work has appeared in the Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PennLive, Centre Daily Times and more. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @bigsengtweets.