Delany oversaw the additions of Penn State, Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers to the conferenceGETTY IMAGES
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany will retire when his current contract expires on June 30, 2020, according to Akeem Glaspie of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Delany has "spent the last three decades" as commissioner of the league (INDYSTAR.com, 3/4). Northwestern President Morton Schapiro "will lead the group looking for Delany’s replacement." The job of finding candidates has "already been farmed out to search firm Korn Ferry" (CLEVELAND.com, 3/4). In Lincoln, Parker Gabriel notes Delany is "one of the most powerful figures in college athletics and has overseen multiple rounds of conference expansion, the introduction and growth of the Big Ten Network and more" (JOURNALSTAR.com, 3/4). CBSSPORTS.com's Tom Fornelli notes when Delany began his Big Ten tenure in '89, he was "instrumental in bringing Penn State into the fold." The league also has added Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers to grow to its current 14 teams. Delany "oversaw the creation of the Big Ten Championship Game in football" and "helped bring the conference into the 21st century and keep it ahead of the curve on the always-evolving college football landscape." The Big Ten was also the first conference to "develop and implement an instant replay system during Delany's tenure" (CBSSPORTS.com, 3/4). Under Delany, conference revenues "increased dramatically" (AP, 3/4).
