Nebraska AD Trev Alberts releases statement on departure of Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren

The Big Ten found itself in need of a new commissioner when Kevin Warren was announced as the next president and CEO of the Chicago Bears on Thursday. After the news came out, Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts released a statement on Warren’s departure.

Alberts spoke highly of Warren and his tenure as Big Ten commissioner, which culminated with the additions of USC and UCLA in 2024 and a multi-billion dollar media rights deal last year. Now, he’s heading back to the NFL, where spent most of his career in sports, and he left his mark on the Big Ten.

“I have enjoyed working and collaborating with Commissioner Warren during my time at Nebraska,” Alberts said. “First, Kevin has been a great advocate for student-athletes during a time of incredible change in college sports. Secondly, his leadership role in adding USC and UCLA to the Big Ten Conference and securing an industry-leading media rights deals are transformational decisions that have strategically positioned the Big Ten to be a leader in collegiate athletics for decades to come. I wish Kevin continued success as he moves on to his next professional challenge.”

Inside Kevin Warren’s tenure as Big Ten commissioner

Warren joined the Big Ten in 2019 as commissioner-elect and officially started his tenure as commissioner in January 2020 — two months before the COVID-19 pandemic shook not only the sports landscape, but the entire world.

As the uncertainty around the pandemic rolled into football season, Warren opted to cancel the 2020 Big Ten season. However, as other conferences decided to play out their campaigns, the league moved to implement a conference-only eight-game schedule. That year, Ohio State made it to the College Football Playoff behind, appropriately, Justin Fields, who’s gearing up for his third season in the NFL with the Bears.

Despite the tough start to his tenure, Warren helped put the Big Ten in position to be one of the top conferences in college football. The league recently signed an seven-year, $7 billion media rights deal and is preparing to add Pac-12 powerhouses USC and UCLA to the league in 2024. That means the Big Ten will move to 16 teams that year, keeping pace with the SEC, which is also moving to 16 teams in the future.

In addition, the Big Ten had two teams in this year’s CFP. Michigan was ranked No. 2 to play in the Fiesta Bowl and Ohio State snuck in as the No. 4 team to lock up a spot in the Peach Bowl. News of Warren’s candidacy broke two days before the games.