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Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is a “top candidate” to become the next president/CEO of the Chicago Bears, according to ESPN. Warren, 59, took the Big Ten’s top job in 2020 after 22 years in NFL operations with the Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.
Warren was chief operating officer of the Vikings before becoming Big Ten commissioner where he has led the conference through a time of upheaval in college athletics. While his tenure with 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 that was later reversed with a delayed start for the league), there have been some notable successes in the last couple years.
The Big Ten successfully recruited USC and UCLA away from the Pac-12 with the California powers joining the league as its newest members in 2024. The conference also announced a new seven-year media rights deal with CBS, Fox and NBC that is valued at approximately $1.2 billion annually.
Ted Phillips, who has been president and CEO of the Bears since 1999, is slated to retire in February after 39 years with one of the NFL’s most storied franchises. Considering the Big Ten’s headquarters are in Rosemont, Illinois — just outside of Chicago — a transition to leading the franchise would be natural for Warren.
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