The Chicago Bears search for a new team president is progressing with Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren emerging as one of the organization's top candidates, according to ESPN.

That information became public Thursday, with ESPN reporting that Warren is a finalist who met with the team in-person about the job.

On Saturday, two Big Ten teams will play in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff with Michigan facing TCU in the Fiesta Bowl and Ohio State playing Georgia in the Peach Bowl. Warren, however, could soon be shifting his focus if a union with the Bears were to materialize.

Warren became the Big Ten commissioner in 2020 after a 14-year stint serving as an executive in the Minnesota Vikings front office. He was the Vikings chief operating officer from 2015-2019 and served before that as the executive vice president of legal affairs and chief administrative officer.

He was integral in the Vikings' efforts to build a new stadium with the team opening U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016. As the Bears pursue a potential new stadium venture in Arlington Heights, Warren's expertise and experience in a similar process would prove valuable.

The Bears continue searching for a successor to current team president and CEO Ted Phillips, who announced in September that he would be retiring from his post at the end of February.

The Bears continue searching for a successor to current team president and CEO Ted Phillips, who announced in September that he would be retiring from his post at the end of February.