STATEMENT FROM BIG TEN CONFERENCE COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS AND CHANCELLORS

The Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) for the Big Ten Conference is grateful to Commissioner Kevin Warren for his valuable service to the conference and its member institutions over the past three years. He has guided the conference with an innovative spirit, a passion for people and exceptional business acumen.
 
Commissioner Warren was pivotal in the expansion from 14-to-16 academic and athletic member institutions and leading the media rights negotiations for the conference. He has been dedicated to building inclusion and equity in the conference while championing mental health and wellness. We thank him for his service and wish him the very best in his new endeavor as the president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Bears.
 
The Big Ten Conference remains in a position of strength during this pivotal time in collegiate athletics and its world-class institutions remain committed to providing an exceptional experience for our student-athletes. The COP/C will work with Commissioner Warren during this transition phase and begin a national search for the seventh Big Ten Conference Commissioner.
 
Big Ten Conference ( bigten.org ) is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching, and public service. Founded in 1896, Big Ten Conference has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness, and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten Conference institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,800 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. Big Ten Conference sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013.
 

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