B1G needs a new commissioner

[Ghost of the HEB]

Personally, I’d recommend they hire someone who has affinity for the University of Utah

Sources: The #Bears are expected to name Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren as their new president and CEO. A major hire for the organization and for Warren, who spent time in the NFL prior to college football as a top executive for the #Vikings.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2023

[PhiladelphiaUte]

Dr Hill

[AlaskaSteveUteAlum]

It will be interesting to see if USC and UCLA actually make it to the Big 10 next year, and, if they do, how they will fare in the conference. He wouldn’t have bolted for an NFL job if everything in the Big 10 was going according to his wishes.

[UtahUtesRock]

What do you mean IF U$C and UCLA make it? I thought it was a done deal?

[AlaskaSteveUteAlum]

Nothing is certain in college football, until it actually happens.

[UteFanatic]

This narrative pops up on here every now and then, and I have no idea why. It’s a done deal. They are gone.

[HoosierUte]

Yeah that is a done deal.

[Central Coast Ute]

Some things I’ve read: he wanted to expand to 20 teams but couldn’t get all of the presidents on board. Some rumors are USC and UCLA have said no to any other western schools, namely UW and UO. These are just rumors so take it for what it’s worth.

[tanute3]

I hate USC and UCLA more and more with each passing day. Obviously it benefits Utah to have Oregon and Washington stay in the Pac-12 with us, but the fact that USC/UCLA make the move then block others from doing the same thing is hilarious.

[pedro]

I would believe this.  Both SC and UCLA was not in favor of Utah and CO coming to the PAC.  That is why our ‘entrance fees’ were so steep.  Conspiracy theorist also believe that is why Utah wasn’t allowed to win the conf the first few years either.  

[Utesbyfive]

“allowed to win the conference?” I’ll have some of what you’re smoking.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

It was UCLA who’d objected.  USC didn’t care so long as the Pac-12 guaranteed they’d get a minimum of $15M/yr on the new GoR deal (whereby the wound up getting $20M to start, so they had no complaints).

Furthermore, the league not only DIDN’T prevent Utah from winning the conference at the onset (Utah that to themselves by losing to 3-10 Colorado in our inaugural season’s finale), we actually had a greased schedule the first 2-yrs, by avoiding the top 2 teams in the league (Oregon & Stanford).

There was no conspiracy against Utah.

[Utah]

He wanted to expand and the B1G said no. He forced USC and UCLA on the B1G and the B1G begrudgingly agreed and then suggested he leave. 

USC/UCLA will be back in the PAC-12 in a few years. All the P12 has to do is survive. 

[Central Coast Ute]

I believe USC and UCLA will be back. It won’t happen until at least the next round of TV contracts, possibly even longer.

I haven’t heard the BIG begrudgingly accepted them and then asked Warren to leave. It sounds interesting, do you remember where you got that info?

[Utah]

I’m from Ohio and have friends in B1G country. No one wants USC and UCLA. Like, no one. Not one person. They were talked into this by the tv people and the comissioner. No one wants to play USC/UCLA. There is no interest in them. 

Indiana/Minnesota don’t want to play USC or UCLA. They want to play Michigan, Ohio State, Penn St, etc. There is so much…snobbery (?) there, which is understandable. Their attitude is like ours inviting Boise St and SDSU to the PAC-12. No one really wants that. No one wants to play those two teams. 

This will be ugly. USC and UCLA will get their asses handed to them. No one will want to play them and USC and UCLA won’t be happy playing road games. 

My prediction is this (and matches yours): Next go around, Texas, Oklahoma, USC, UCLA will all leave their new conferences as they will be sad that they are not the top dogs anymore. USC and UCLA will go back to the PAC-12 and Texas and Oklahoma will make a new conference or join the ACC. The new conference would be ACC teams and Arkansas and A&M and other old B12 members. The Big 12 will still be the s**tty B12 teams. 

[Central Coast Ute]

Doesn’t sound too far fetched to me.

[//r00t4Utes]

Well I know from reading this on here that it was rumored that U$C had previously blocked, I believe, expansion talks just 2-3yrs ago.

[D T]

It was the USC president specifically.

[The Miami Ute]

John Canzano had a great article on this subject today. Essentially it boils down to Warren getting out while the getting was good. He doesn’t have to deal with the potential blowback of the USC/UCLA moves not panning out as expected and it’s not certain that he would have lasted much longer anyways as he wasn’t widely liked among the B1G university presidents.

Here’s a small excerpt:

Warren’s return to the NFL signals to me that he saw the ceiling on his work in the Big Ten. Also, interesting that the conference wasn’t falling over itself to offer him an extension. Some of his own conference members didn’t appreciate that he’d openly talked about expanding beyond USC and UCLA last year. There didn’t seem to be much of an appetite for more additions. There certainly wasn’t consensus.