Tellitocci returning to MAAC as league’s fourth commissioner
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has its next commissioner.
Welcome back to Travis Tellitocci.
The MAAC Council of Presidents announced on Tuesday that Tellitocci, a former deputy director of athletics at Marist, will take over as the league’s fourth commissioner in May once Rich Ensor retires after 35 years in charge.
“We will not be afraid to take chances in the MAAC,” Tellitocci said. “That’s been something that has been a hallmark throughout my career. It will be strategically calculated and steadfast in our approach to those chances, but we want to be bold, innovative and have vision.”
Tellitocci (pronounced Tella-toss-see) comes to the
MAAC from the Ohio Valley Conference, where he has served as the assistant commissioner for football, basketball and officiating for more than six years. Prior to joining the OVC, he served as the deputy athletics director at his alma mater Marist.
He left that post in Poughkeepsie for the OVC on the recommendation of Ensor.
“It’s funny how life comes full circle,” Tellitocci said. “Here we are six and a half years later and that email changed by life. Without the opportunity at the OVC, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Tellitocci steps into the MAAC’s hotseat at a time when the college landscape is shifting drastically. Conference realignment, Name Image and Likeness and the future of the NCAA are all on the forefront.
“I’m a true believer that if you do the little things right, it will lead to bigger things. I’m not really good with the status quo,” Tellitocci said. “… How do we stand apart from the other 32 conferences in the NCAA? How do we increase our attractiveness within the MAAC? Then looking at new external opportunities.”
Here are some of the talking points the incoming commissioner touched on:
• Has been through conference realignment with the OVC and wants the MAAC to be progressive and not reactionary to potential expansion.
Geography, location and common values are all determining factors when adding a school.
“The one thing I do know is it’s important to be aggressive,” Tellitocci said. “I don’t think you want to be playing from behind. Having gone through this for a year and a half now, it’s important to get out in front of it.” • He’s not part of the bidding process for the next host site of the basketball tournament. That is being overseen by the outgoing administration.
Ensor said last month that the league has narrowed it down to three sites — Atlantic City, Albany and Elmont, N.Y. — and a decision should be made in the next few weeks.
Tellitocci is used to the debate between a neutral venue and playing on campus sites.
“It’s really hard to get fans to travel to the conference tournament,” Tellitocci said. “My focus would be how do we continue to build fanbases on campus? That has to start on campus and building connection with the student-athletes. I look at my time at Marist and the following they had with women’s basketball not only had to do with success but there was a personal connection there that fans really wanted
to follow those student-athletes.”
• Was a fan of the Monday night ESPN championship game when the conference tournament was held in Albany, but “that’s not my decision to make right now.”
• Cautioned that expanding the championships, while providing more access for student-athletes, comes at an increased cost. “Somebody has to pay for those additional teams, that additional travel.”
• Likes the work the MAAC has done in having mental health services available to student-athletes and is in a
good spot to deal with those issues.
• What he wants from his first 100 days: “What has worked? What hasn’t worked? What have we done that is good, what can be better?” he said. “Just listening to everybody throughout the league. I’ve got a good sense of the history of the league with being in it for 10 years. I really want to strengthen that relationship between the conference office and our member institutions. I want to make sure we are in lockstep as we go through some of these unique challenges.”