As conference championship weekend approaches, the Big Ten not only lays claim to the country\u2019s top two teams, but also the last two national champions.<\/p>\n
But while he very well may be one of the most powerful figures in college sports by the nature of his title, you wouldn\u2019t necessarily know it based on Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti\u2019s recent run.<\/p>\n
Petitti\u2019s latest negative headline<\/a> came in the form of U.S.\u00a0 Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) publicly accusing him of \u201ctrying to buy votes\u201d with regard to the SCORE Act. A vote on the bill, which would codify the House settlement and create national standards for name, image and likeness practices in college sports, was delayed on Wednesday and is expected to be shelved for the next several weeks, according to Yahoo Sports\u2019 Ross Dellenger<\/a>.<\/p>\n The reason for the delay? Baumgartner pointed to Petitti, referring to the Big Ten commissioner as a \u201cjackass.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf the Commissioner of the Big 10 would spend LESS money trying to buy votes w DC lobbyists and make MORE of an effort to STOP being a bullying jackass, then Congress could get on with passing some reasonable legislation to fix college sports,\u201d he wrote on X.<\/p>\n If the Commissioner of the Big 10 would spend LESS money trying to buy votes w DC lobbyists and make MORE of an effort to STOP being a bullying jackass, then Congress could get on with passing some reasonable legislation to fix college sports. \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8<\/p>\n \u2014 Congressman Michael Baumgartner (@RepBaumgartner) December 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Whether you agree or not with Petitti (who supports the SCORE Act), it\u2019s certainly notable to see a congressman publicly call him a \u201cjackass,\u201d even if it\u2019s also worth noting that this particular politician happens to be a proud Washington State alum<\/a>. But as Yahoo\u2019s Dan Wolken noted<\/a>, that\u2019s just business as usual for the Big Ten commissioner who\u2019s been \u201cmaking everyone mad\u201d lately, especially when it comes to the business side of college athletics.<\/p>\n After all, it was less than a month ago that Petitti\u2019s attempt to secure a $2.4 billion private investment from a public pension plan manager was put on hold<\/a> following significant opposition from Michigan and Southern California<\/a>. Once again, whether you agree or disagree Petitti\u2019s polarizing plan is somewhat beside the point. The important parts are that the fight got messy and the Big Ten commissioner \u2014 at least for now \u2014 found himself on the losing side.<\/p>\n The same could very well be said about the Big Ten\u2019s push for a 24-team playoff, which has yet to gain any significant support (outside of perhaps Fox<\/a>). While plenty can change between now and the Jan. 23, 2026 deadline to finalize a new format, it\u2019s hard to imagine Petitti getting his way unless he can get the SEC \u2014 which supports a move to 16 teams<\/a> \u2014 on board.<\/p>\n On the field, where Petitti has less control, has been more of mixed bag. Yes, Ohio State and Indiana are about to meet in the Big Ten Championship Game as the nation\u2019s top two teams and Oregon is a lock for a playoff spot, but the rest of the league has endured a largely underwhelming 2025 campaign. And that\u2019s resulted in a lackluster run of TV ratings this season<\/a>, in which the SEC has routinely laid claim to the weekends\u2019 most-watched games.<\/p>\n