by Kevin Warren Departure from Big Ten commissioner to Chicago Bears president/CEO comes at a critical time — not just for the Big Ten, but for college athletics as a whole. Last year, the Big Ten announced it was adding USC and UCLA as full members beginning in 2024, signaling the latest seismic realignment move as power conferences bid for the dollar the highest of media rights and long-term security. College athletics is also undergoing a significant shift with mass transfers of players through the portal and several name, image, and likeness (NIL) dollars beginning to look like professional contracts.
Warren, 59, was hired by the conference in 2020 after longtime commissioner Jim Delany retired from a position he had held since 1989. His departure means an incredibly stable conference throughout the Delaney’s term will be in search of a new leader for the second time in just under four years.
Warren has negotiated a new seven-year media rights deal with CBS, Fox and NBC, valued at around $1.2 billion a year, so the new commissioner won’t have to worry about that right from the start. take over. Still, this is a high-level job with high-level requirements.
Who will follow Warren into the Big Ten? Here are some better options.
Jim Phillips, ACC Commissioner: Phillips was hired as commissioner of the ACC in 2021, which on the face of it makes him seem like an unlikely candidate. Don’t be so sure. Phillips was the clubhouse leader last time out until the Big Ten presidents made a left turn and chose Warren. The Big Ten are a better job with more resources and a brighter future, and they’re not stuck in the mud with an ESPN-compatible long-term media rights deal. Additionally, Phillips has ties to the Big Ten and Midwest region. He was athletic director at Northwestern from 2008-21 and at Northern Illinois from 2004-2008.
Burke Magnus, ESPN Television Director: Magnus is ESPN’s president of programming and original content, where one of his roles centers on rights acquisition and programming. He has worked with the network on several media rights deals, including the recent Big Ten deal which also includes CBS. Magnus has also worked with several professional leagues on cross-platform programming, which includes linear television, streaming content, digital content and social media strategies.
Fox Television Executive Mark Silverman: Silverman is the president and chief operating officer of Fox Sports. He is responsible for live events, studio programming, production and content marketing across all of Fox’s networks. One of them is the Big Ten Network, an outlet that is partly owned by the conference. Silverman was instrumental in bringing sports betting into Fox’s college football strategy. More states, including Ohio, have adopted the game in recent years, and there will be more to come in the immediate future.
Gene Smith, Ohio State Athletic Director: Smith, 66, has been with the Buckeyes since 2005 but has held AD roles at various schools since 1986. His long tenure with Ohio State makes him a natural fit as he knows the successes and the failures of previous conference commissioners. . Plus, his experience growing college football into a big business must be appealing to a conference that’s been at the forefront of moving into the super conference era.
Big Ten leader Kerry Kenny: Kenny is Senior Vice President of Television, Media Analytics and Emerging Platforms for the Big Ten. He has been with the conference for 15 years and has played an important role in the rise of the conference. He, like many other candidates, has been at the forefront of Big Ten media and content strategy during the rapidly changing media landscape. Many Big Ten candidates are tied to TV and media rights strategies. Kenny’s experience with these strategies, coupled with the conference’s familiarity with him as an employee, would make him an attractive option.
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