Travis Tellitocci named new MAAC commissioner, replacing Rich Ensor

Travis Tellitocci, former deputy athletic director at Marist who has been an Ohio Valley Conference assistant commissioner since 2016, is replacing Rich Ensor as MAAC commissioner. (Photo by the Ohio Valley Conference)

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has found its successor to longtime commissioner Rich Ensor, and the heir apparent is more than familiar with the territory he will soon oversee.

Travis Tellitocci, currently an assistant commissioner at the Ohio Valley Conference, has been selected to replace Ensor, who announced in August that he would retire at the conclusion of the academic year after 35 years at the helm, making him the longest-tenured Division I conference commissioner in the NCAA. Tellitocci will be formally introduced on a Zoom call Tuesday morning as the MAAC’s fourth commissioner.

At just 40 years old, Tellitocci brings a wealth of experience to a conference under whose umbrella he served for a decade while rising through the ranks at Marist College, where he is a double alumnus. Having joined the staff of athletic director Tim Murray in 2006 as assistant athletic director for external affairs and ultimately being promoted to deputy athletic director in 2016 before leaving for his current post at the OVC. While at Marist, Tellitocci oversaw the restructuring of the Red Fox Club, producing the highest fundraising revenue in its prior 35-year history. He also spearheaded a successful digital media initiative and rebranding campaign, establishing the Red Fox Network that currently produces all Marist home broadcasts on the ESPN family of networks, and was chief negotiator in Marist’s apparel contract with Nike, leading to a college record for licensing revenue. Tellitocci was also instrumental in his efforts to boost the marketing of the Red Foxes’ women’s basketball program, among the most successful MAAC outfits in conference history, and played a major role in securing its first sellout crowd at McCann Arena in the 2010-11 season. He also directed the campaign event at McCann hosted by Bernie Sanders in 2016 during the Vermont senator’s bid to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

In his current capacity, Tellitocci serves as assistant commissioner for football, basketball and officiating at the OVC, where he has been since September 2016. He is primary staff liaison to the OVC’s head football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball coaches, and also the tournament manager for the OVC men’s and women’s basketball championships; as well as the conference’s baseball championship. He also served as tournament manager for the NCAA Tournament’s first and second-round subregional in 2018, held in the OVC’s headquarters of Nashville. In July 2020, he was named to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Competition Committee, on which he will remain until his four-year term expires in July of 2024.

Prior to his involvement in college athletics, Tellitocci worked for the New York Mets as associate producer for scoreboard and entertainment, a position in which he was in charge of all pregame presentations at Shea Stadium, including national anthem singers, ceremonial first pitches and flyovers, as well as creating gameday scripts and overseeing the operation and content display on the stadium’s LED video boards. In 2014, he was recognized by the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce as one of its 40 Under 40 honorees.

A native of Benwood, West Virginia, Travis and his wife Bobbi Sue are the parents of two sons, Tyler and Hudson.