Kevin Warren to be next Chicago Bears president: Big Ten quits job after 3 years

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren will become the next president and CEO of the Chicago Bears, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The 59-year-old Warren is a big hit in 2020 after running the NFL for 22 years with the Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.

Warren, the first Black Commissioner of the Power Five Conference, was the Vikings’ Chief Operating Officer before joining the Big Ten, where he led the conference through a turbulent era of college athletics. His tenure in the Big Ten was first marred by the league’s early decision to cancel the 2020 football season amid the COVID-19 pandemic (a move later reversed with the league’s delayed start). ). The past few years.

The Big Ten successfully recruited USC and UCLA from Pac-12, with California Powers joining the league as the newest member in 2024. About $1.2 billion annually.

What next for the Bears?

Ted Phillips, president and CEO of the Bears since 1999, will retire in February after 39 years with one of the NFL’s most celebrated franchises. Given his NFL experience, and the fact that Big His Ten headquarters are in Rosemont, Illinois (just outside of Chicago), it’s a natural fit for Warren to lead the franchise.

The Bears are eyeing a new stadium in the next few years, and Warren’s experience in overseeing the Vikings’ stadium deal makes him a comfortable fit for the franchise’s biggest upcoming project.

The Warrens Bears retain the #1 overall pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft after a league-worst 3-14 record. Chicago didn’t have much on-field success in 2022 under first-year head coach Matt Everfuls, but it did see Justin Fields make a huge leap forward as a quarterback. I was.

The former No. 11 overall pick threw for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games as Fields tallied 1,143 yards. yards and eight touchdowns. General manager Ryan Pauls has done a solid job preparing Chicago for this rebuild, as the Bears have seven picks in the 2023 draft.

What’s next for the Big Ten?

The Conference enters its second commissioner search in the last four seasons, marking an unprecedented turnover of positions after decades of stability. Warren’s predecessor, Jim Delaney, announced in March 2019 that he planned to retire after holding the position since 1989.

The Big Ten is the latest Power Five league to change the top spot. On his June 29th of this year he was appointed Commissioner of the Big 12, Brett Yormark, while ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and his Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff are expected to vacate their positions from 2021 onwards. I’m working in – Served as Commissioner of Power Five by a wide margin.

The Big Ten navigated COVID-19, conference reorganization and new media rights deal under Warren, but many challenges remain at conference.Navigating USC and UCLA integration into leagues requires skillful hands. Nationally, the future of name, image, and likeness rules in college sports looms large, and whoever the Big Ten commissioner is, as leader of one of the nation’s top two conferences, must be a key voice in that conversation. SEC.