Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren’s departure won’t delay the conference’s plans to change its football scheduling alignment for the 2024 season, Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said Thursday.
For multiple years, conference and school officials have discussed altering or ending the East-West alignment in part to have a more equitable championship matchup. There was momentum to enact changes for the 2023 season to coincide with a new media rights agreement until USC and UCLA accepted Big Ten invitations beginning Aug. 2, 2024. Conference officials decided in October to delay any structural football changes until USC and UCLA participate in league play.
Warren, who was hired earlier this month as the Chicago Bears’ team president and chief executive officer, still participates in conference meetings, but school officials have no interest in waiting for a new Big Ten commissioner before finalizing the structure.
