Kevin Warren, Big Ten Commissioner, will be heading to the NFL
It was announced Thursday morning that Kevin Warren would be stepping down from his role as commissioner of the Big Ten to accept a job as the president and CEO of the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
Warren, an African-American, became the first American-American commissioner in American student sports conferences’ history in January 2020. He took over the Big Ten. After three years in that role, the 59-year-old will now make his way over to the NFL, a league that he’s very familiar with.
Starting in 1997 as a the Vice president of player programs & football legal counsel for the St. Louis Rams, Warren has 23 years of experience in the NFL, culminating in his five-year stint as Chief operating officer with the Minnesota Vikings from 2015-2019.
In Chicago, Warren will replace outgoing president and CEO Ted Phillips, who retired following the Bears’ 3-14 season in 2022. The Bears had a terrible record but they are one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason. They will have the top selection in 2023 NFL Draft, as well as more than $110,000,000 in cap space.
On the flip side, as of right now, there’s no news out of the Big Ten for a potential successor for Warren as the new conference commissioner. The new commissioner will work with the largest number of teams in conference history, as UCLA and USC join the Big Ten.