In a bold career move, former Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti on Thursday accepted a position as president of WME-IMG College Multimedia, where he will handle sponsorship and marketing opportunities for more than 90 colleges nationwide.

One of those colleges figures to be Rutgers, which in July 2013 signed an 11-year, $65 million multirights pact with IMG, the sports marketing giant that will guarantee the university's athletics program at least $4.7 million in sponsorship, licensing, advertising and trademark revenue this year.

Strange as it sounds, it means Pernetti could eventually sit in a room with current Scarlet Knights AD Julie Hermann to discuss sponsorship opportunities that benefit Rutgers.

Hermann, for one, is looking forward to see what Pernetti can do for IMG.

"We are super excited for our partner IMG and Tim,'' Hermann said Thursday in a statement provided to NJ Advance Media. "IMG is the gold standard for college multimedia rights and licensing and Tim will make great contributions to their businesses.''

Hermann took over the Rutgers athletics department in June 2013, two months after Pernetti was forced to resign in the wake of the Mike Rice player abuse scandal.

IMG College's exclusive multimedia rights span more than 90 universities and conferences, covering 51 of the top 56 U.S. Nielsen markets. The company's national collegiate sports marketing platform includes 35,000 hours of radio programming produced annually on the nation's largest independent sports network; 5,000 hours of annual TV programming; university sports publications; and schools' digital channels.

"Tim's a true expert in collegiate athletics and multimedia rights," said IMG College Chairman and President Ben Sutton in a statement. "Combine that with his entrepreneurial approach and outstanding leadership abilities and he's the perfect fit for this role."

In a press release announcing Pernetti's deal with IMG, Pernetti was said to have "designed and executed Rutgers' entrance into the Big Ten Conference across all sports, providing the school greater conference support, an enhanced student-athlete experience, increased financial resources, broad based media exposure, and access to the new college football post-season" during his four-year tenure.

In addition, the release said "Pernetti transformed the business of athletics at Rutgers, generating a significant increase in revenue over a four-year period through fundraising, sponsorship, venue and facility naming rights, premium seating and hospitality, and food service/concessions."

"There's never been a more exciting and transformative time in collegiate athletics," Pernetti said in a statement. "The landscape is changing rapidly, and IMG College is well-positioned to lead this growing industry forward. We will work hard to provide expert outside support in all areas of the business of athletics and deliver universities and brands the best and most innovative solutions and opportunities."

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.