Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren named President/CEO of Chicago Bears

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has been named the new president and CEO of the Chicago Bears.

Warren has been commissioner of the conference since 2019, helping navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and expanding the Big Ten, with USC and UCLA joining in 2024. He was the first African-American to serve as commissioner in any of the major American student-sports conferences.

Warren has two decades of NFL experience. He had brief stints with the St. Louis Rams (1997-2001) and the Detroit Lions (2001-2003) in various front office/legal counsel positions before working with the Minnesota Vikings (2005-2019) as Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer.

With the Vikings, he ultimately worked his way up to being the team’s COO and was integral in overseeing the pursuit of a new stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings started playing there in 2016, as Warren was crucial in helping the team select designers, developers, legal advisors and finding an interim location to play.

That stadium experience makes sense for the hire, as the Bears plan to move out of the legendary Soldier Field and build a new stadium in the Chicago suburbs. The Bears also have their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields and the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

More news about Warren’s potential replacement will come down in the coming days, and we’ll be sure to keep Michigan fans updated.