On Tuesday morning, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced that Travis Tellitocci will succeed current commissioner Rich Ensor after the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year.
Ensor departs the job after 35 years of service, during which he oversaw Marist’s addition to the MAAC in 1997. He announced his intent to retire from the position in August after beginning his reign in 1988.
In Ensor’s time in charge, the conference has nearly doubled its sports and championship and now possesses 15 automatic bids to NCAA championships.
Tellitocci is a very familiar name in Poughkeepsie. He graduated from Marist in 2004 with a degree in communications and later earned his Master’s degree in integrated marketing and communication from the College in 2014.
Tellitocci, who serves as an assistant commissioner at the Ohio Valley Conference, was formally introduced on a Zoom call on Tuesday morning.
“I’m really humbled by this opportunity, as I know the significance of the position,” Tellitocci said on the Zoom call. “I never set out to be a conference commissioner. The first chance I ever took was leaving West Virginia to go to college in New York at Marist.”
After spending time working for the New York Mets, Tellitocci came back to Marist in 2006 to work in the athletic department as assistant athletic director for external affairs. He would end up staying in Poughkeepsie until 2016, working his way up to deputy athletic director before leaving for his position with the OVC.
“In Travis Tellitocci, the MAAC Council of Presidents has selected a talented and innovative young administrator who will bring a fresh approach and limitless energy to his work in the conference,” Marist athletic director Tim Murray said in a MAAC release. “His background and professional experiences, particularly at both Marist College and the Ohio Valley Conference, have prepared him well to adeptly lead our membership during this challenging period for intercollegiate athletics.”
In his time at Marist, Tellitocci left his mark in several areas, leading Marist’s rebranding efforts and helping the school obtain a contract with Nike to serve as the department’s exclusive outfitter.
He was also the driving force behind the Red Fox Network and led a major facility enhancement with the installation of two high-definition video boards and a control room in McCann Arena. Tellitocci served as the executive producer and director for the Red Fox Network’s first broadcast on ESPN3.
When he officially takes office on May 15, Tellitocci will become the fourth commissioner in the history of the MAAC.
Edited by Andrew Hard
Photo from Marist Athletics
