Ad Disclosure
The B1G has officially introduced its new commissioner.
On Tuesday, the conference announced that Minnesota Vikings chief operating officer Kevin Warren will be the sixth commissioner of the B1G. He was officially introduced at a press conference on Tuesday.
Warren will replace Jim Delany, who had served in the post since 1989. Warren will begin on Sept. 16, 2019 and Delany will officially step down on Jan. 1, 2020. The overlap will serve as a transition period for the conference.
Warren wasn’t a candidate until late in the process, as most expected Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips to be named the next commissioner. But Warren’s name surfaced late Monday night among the media and was introduced about 16 hours later.
Warren will be the first African-American commissioner of a Power Five conference.
Prior to being named the commissioner of the B1G, Warren spent 20 of the last 23 years in the NFL. He had been with the Minnesota Vikings since 2005 and served as the chief operating officer since 2015.
Delany was not in attendance during the introductory press conference.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB