In a drop-dead surprise, Big Ten presidents arranged for the most influential force in collegiate athletics, Jim Delany, to hand the baton to a skilled executive who has spent the last 22 years in the NFL.
Which automatically raises the question: Will Kevin Warren, stepping down as the Minnesota Vikings' Chief Operating Officer, carry on the role as commissioner with the same anti-pay-for-play views as his predecessor?
Delany's three decades at the helm were marked by strong Midwestern values. As a bowl advocate — particularly the Rose Bowl — he was slow to favor a four-team football playoff before helping push it through.