If you’ve seen Tim Pernetti’s name in the news, it was probably back in 2013 when he was athletics director at Rutgers and was forced to resign amid controversy over the misbehavior of basketball coach Tim Rice. Rice had been filmed kicking players, throwing basketballs at their heads, and calling them various slurs, and Pernetti chose to suspend him for three games and fine him $50,000 rather than firing him outright. A public outcry over this decision led to his forced resignation in April, 2013.
Pernetti, however, seems to have landed on his feet. After leaving Rutgers, Pernetti joined the New York City FC, a Major League Soccer expansion team, as chief business officer. He helped get the team organized, but before the team played its first game in 2015, Pernetti returned to the world of college athletics. He joined IMG College, one of the world’s largest sports marketing companies, in February, 2015, as president of multimedia. Today he retains that title and is president of IMG overall.
IMG, a $2 billion business, is nothing short of a sports media empire, boasting relationships with more than 90 universities and conferences and the country’s largest independent sports radio network. IMG also has partnerships for intellectual property and brand management with 200 schools. Pernetti also oversees stadium seating, ticket sales, and other business ventures.
Pernetti has seen collegiate athletics from the trenches: from 1989 to 1993, he was a star tight end for Rutgers.
Pernetti will speak at the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, July 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Princeton Marriott. Tickets are $75, $50 for members. For more information, visit www.princetonchamber.org.
