The legacy and impact of Grand Canyon alumnus Kevin Warren continued when the GCU Hall of Famer and Board of Directors member was named the Big Ten Conference commissioner on Tuesday.
Already a trailblazer in the fashion of his parents, the Arizona native leaves a groundbreaking position with the Minnesota Vikings, where he was the first Black chief operating officer in the NFL, to become the first Black commissioner of a Power Five conference. Warren, 55, joins the 14-member Big Ten Conference on Sept. 16 and will work with outgoing 30-year commissioner Jim Delany until Jan. 1.
Warren transferred from Penn after one season of basketball there and played three years at Grand Canyon, recording the fourth-best scoring average for a season (23.3) and career (20.0). He earned a business administration degree that he called his best academic experience, even after acquiring a graduate degree from Arizona State and a law degree from Notre Dame.
The historical significance of what he achieved in leading the business side of the Vikings and becoming the sixth Big Ten commissioner is not lost on Warren, the son of the first Black to be vice mayor of Phoenix and president of a major college football bowl (Fiesta).
In his Minnesota office, he has surrounded himself with photos of pioneers such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, Curt Flood and the 1966 Texas Western national championship team.
"Do I think about it every single day? Yes," Warren said at his Big Ten press conference. "But I also remember that it provides me with an opportunity that I send the elevator back down to get people who other people may not have given an opportunity – people who look like me. To remember that and make sure I perform at the highest possible level to open up the door for the next person, regardless of their color. Even though they may be a little bit different, they'll be given a chance to realize their dreams like I have."
"To have an opportunity to lead the Big Ten Conference, and follow in the shoes of Jim Delany is truly an honor."
Warren worked as a lawyer and sports agent before serving as a vice president for the St. Louis Rams (1997-2001) and Detroit Lions (2001-03). He joined the Vikings in 2005 and became the franchise's chief operating officer in 2015, leading all business interests as well as all facets of the new U.S. Bank Stadium.
"Kevin has been a tremendous leader for the Vikings, and he and his family have been passionately and intricately involved in the community, enhancing the lives of so many people," Minnesota Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement. "We know the Big Ten and their student-athletes, coaches, and administrators are extremely fortunate to have his leadership, character and vision."
All the while, Warren has stayed involved at GCU and Grand Canyon Education as a board director since 2012 and by funding an annual postgraduate scholarship award for a GCU student-athlete.
"Kevin is a visionary leader, an experienced, successful and highly respected executive, and a skilled communicator who is uniquely positioned to continue the traditions of excellence that have become synonymous with the Big Ten Conference," Indiana
Warren playing at Grand Canyon
University President and Big Ten executive search committee chair Michael A. McRobbie said. "Over a remarkable and pioneering career, he has developed a reputation among his peers and colleagues as an individual of enormous character, integrity, knowledge and passion who has dedicated the majority of his professional career to the empowerment of young people and the positive impact athletics can have on improving lives and our society."
Warren has come a long way from a child who was given a grim future to walk again, let alone play sports, after being hit by a car while bicycling at age 11. He persevered and thrived at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Ariz., following his parents' advice to work hard, get a good education, surround himself with good people and leave every situation better.
"I wish they could be here because today is a day that they told me about that would come," Warren said Tuesday. "They said days like today would come. They may not come when you're ready. They may not come when you want them to come, but they will come when the time is right.
"I'm glad this opportunity took as long as it did."
Asked to reflect on his time as a student-athlete, the Lopes' 1986 NAIA All-America second-team selection said he is reminded of how athletics breaks down walls and unites student-athletes who ordinarily would not talk to one another.
"Although the equipment has evolved and there's been some rule changes, at the end of the day, it's about a group of young men that's trying to be coaches, to be there as a support system, to work to persevere, to get up when you've been knocked down before," Warren said.
