Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren took over for Jim Delany on Jan. 2 of this year and since then has dealt with situations that no commissioner has ever dealt with. But through it all — from the postponement of Big Ten fall sports in August to the announcement this week that the league would start its football season in late October — Warren has stayed thoughtful and patient.
"There is no playbook of leading an athletic conference during a global pandemic," Warren said. "We're facing uncertain and unprecedented times, and the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, our coaches, our game officials, administrators, fans and families and everyone else associated with our sports programs and on our campuses remains our No. 1 priority. I have just had to remain just kind of disciplined and organized and very methodical and follow the advice and counsel of our medical experts."
While Warren has focused on health first, he has faced a lot of unjust criticism. But he said he would not trade this year for anything.
"I think this year just has been complicated. I mean, you think about it. Not only from a health standpoint, we have financial issues that we're dealing with, global pandemic, but then also all of the social unrest in an election year," Warren said. "But because I always look for the positive energy associated with it, I always ask myself, even though it has been some painful days this year, I ask myself, when I look back to when I started on January 2, are we better as a conference? Am I better as a leader? The answer is yes. It's painful, but it's really that sometimes pain and challenges provide you with an opportunity to get stronger and create greatness."
Finding alignment
Warren said he has relied on his faith to stay humble while fans and the media have tried to steer the conversation.
That was especially true with the Return to Competition Task Force that featured everyone from University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel and athletic director Mark Coyle to Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez, Penn State Vice President Sandy Barbour and Ohio State team physician Jim Borchers.
Warren leaned on that group to bring players back safely and to work out a schedule.
"What I have tried to work on is not even to say what is right but to make sure that we have alignment. Alignment is critical. That's why it starts with collaboration and communication and really transparency," he said. "You have to be comfortable in your decisionmaking process to ask yourself what can we do to get better? I know today we are so much better as a conference than we were 60 days ago, because we know more. When you know more you have new information. Sixty days ago we didn't know about the ability to have daily rapid tests; we can do that now. Now we're in a position."
