IRVING, Texas – Tom Odjakjian, who has served as Senior Associate Commissioner for Broadcasting and Digital Content since the formation of the American Athletic Conference, has announced his retirement, effective October 7, 2022.
Odjakjian has spent 27 years with the conference, first as an associate commissioner with the Big East from 1995-2013, and most recently with The American for the last nine years.
“I’ve been extraordinarily blessed to have a rewarding 50-year career in college athletics and sports television,” said Odjakjian, “and feel fortunate to have worked with so many terrific people and dear friends on campuses, in conference offices, and at all the networks, especially ESPN and CBS. I’d like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way, from my early mentors at Lafayette College, to my colleagues at Princeton, the ECAC, and ESPN, and to Commissioners Mike Tranghese, John Marinatto, and especially Mike Aresco, as it has been extra special to be reunited with Mike at the end of our careers.
“I still can’t believe I’m retiring - but I couldn’t delay any longer – and I am very excited to spend more time with my family and work on my bucket list, starting with a trip to the Grand Canyon and Utah in a few weeks.”
“Tom Odjakjian has been an important presence in the Big East and American Athletic Conference for almost 30 years, and has enjoyed an illustrious career as a television programmer and scheduler at ESPN in its early years and as the primary multimedia person at the Big East and The American,” said American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco. “Tom has been instrumental in the rapid growth and success of The American, and no one in all of college athletics has done a better job with all aspects of conference media operations. Tom’s encyclopedic knowledge of the college football and basketball landscapes, his overall expertise, his dedication and integrity, and his many strong relationships in the college community guaranteed that our conference’s teams received maximum television and online exposure and have made him as influential and respected an executive as there is in college athletics. Tom’s strategic thinking has also been invaluable in our conference media negotiations with ESPN and CBS.
“In addition to his immense contributions, Tom has been a treasured friend and colleague to all of us over the years. His commitment to the conference and its membership has been exemplary and he has gone far beyond the call of duty on countless occasions. I am fortunate to have had Tom as a close friend and colleague for almost 40 years, going back to our days working together at ESPN, and I will miss him greatly, as will everyone associated with our conference and those in the greater college community with whom Tom has worked for decades.
“On behalf of The American, I wish Tom all the best in a richly-deserved retirement, and I wish Tom, his wife, Ani, and children, Katie and Christian, a rewarding next chapter.”
Odjakjian has been The American’s primary liaison with the league’s television partners, managing those relationships on a daily basis and serving as a primary point person for a number of significant television agreements, including The American’s current partnership with ESPN, which has given member institutions unprecedented revenue and exposure.
Odjakjian also has had direct involvement in the assembly of The American’s annual schedules in football and men’s and women’s basketball, in order to fulfill the network’s contractual obligations and maximize exposure for the conference while balancing institutional schedules. He oversaw the integration and coordination of The American’s significant presence on ESPN+, establishing consistent standards for infrastructure and production across the conference membership.
Odjakjian served in various executive roles at ESPN from 1981-94, including as the director of college sports. He was responsible for negotiation, acquisition, scheduling and budget supervision for the network’s collegiate sports programming. Odjakjian was the architect behind the creation of ESPN’s basketball Championship Week and football Bowl Week and had a hand in the network’s NFL, NBA, NHL and Olympic sports programming.
Prior to joining ESPN, Odjakjian also served as associate commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference and assistant sports information director at Princeton University. While at ESPN, in 1994, he was named as The Most Influential Person in College Sports by College Sports Magazine and was tabbed as one of the four most influential people in college basketball by Sporting News in 1990.
Odjakjian was the recipient of the 2019 Sports Video Group College Pioneer Award.
Odjakjian is a graduate of Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business. He played football and baseball as an undergraduate and was the recipient of the George Wharton Pepper Prize, Lafayette’s most prestigious honor.