Keep Hands Off Big East, New Commissioner Tells Leagues

Michael Tranghese was named to succeed Dave Gavitt as commissioner of the Big East Conference today and warned other conferences not to raid its teams.

“We are absolutely committed to protecting our structure. We are not going to let someone step forward and control our destiny,” Tranghese said. “If you come after us from the outside, you’ve got one heck of a fight.”

But Tranghese said he did not know what options he might pursue to keep Boston College, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

Tranghese, 46, the former associate commissioner, has been with the conference since its inception and worked closely with Gavitt over the years. His choice was unanimous, said Francis Rienzo, Georgetown athletic director and chairman of the Big East executive committee.

Gavitt, the driving force behind the creation of the Big East, left the conference last month to become director of operations for the NBA’s Boston Celtics.

Tranghese, anticipating criticism that he was selected because of his ties to Gavitt, went on the offensive on that issue.

“I haven’t been hired because I’ve been here for 11 years. I haven’t been hired because they think I’m a nice person,” he said. “If anyone talks about our working relationship (with Gavitt) anymore, I might vomit.”

Tranghese developed a television package and served for many years as the executive producer of all league telecasts. He recently renegotiated a four-year deal with CBS and faces renegotiations with the ESPN and Madison Square Garden networks this year.