The Big Ten will introduce the successor to Commissioner Jim Delany at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the conference office in Rosemont, Ill. Big Ten Network will air the news conference live.
A source with knowledge of the search said Monday he would be "shocked" if the choice is not Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips. But those who know for certain, including Delany, have been compelled to keep it a secret.
Most industry observers viewed Phillips as the favorite once Delany, 71, announced in March that he would step down by June 2020. The brevity of the search also suggests it will be Phillips.
Northwestern President Morton Schapiro led the search on behalf of the Big Ten's Council of Presidents and Chancellors, assisted by the Chicago firm Korn Ferry. It made for an interesting dynamic, considering Schapiro is one of Phillips' best friends.
Phillips has earned national acclaim during his 10-plus years at Northwestern for spearheading a massive facilities upgrade while retaining top coaches such as Pat Fitzgerald (football) and Kelly Amonte Hiller (lacrosse). Phillips acted as Delany's surrogate in December when the two questioned the College Football Playoff selection process, and he has served on too many NCAA committees to list.
Last year Sports Business Journal named him Athletic Director of the Year.
Phillips, though, has warned friends not to assume he would take the job if it's offered. He has stressed that Northwestern is underappreciated, saying he has the "best AD job in the country."
He loves working with NU athletes, who led the Big Ten and ranked second among Power Five schools in Academic Progress Report (APR) for 2018-19. He is tight with Fitzgerald and several other NU coaches, including men's basketball coach Chris Collins. Benefactor Pat Ryan is both exceedingly generous and hands off.
And as of 6 p.m. Monday, Phillips had not informed his most prominent coaches that he would be exiting.
Whoever succeeds Delany will have his or her business acumen put to the test.
Delany's impact on the Big Ten's financial performance has been epic. The conference brought in a record $759 million in revenue during the 2018 fiscal year, according to USA Today, up from $513 million in 2017. The SEC reported $660 million in revenue for fiscal 2018.
Delany's legacy includes the additions of Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers (for better or worse); creating the Big Ten Network; constructing two divisions and a football championship game; reluctantly agreeing to the four-team national football playoff while maintaining ties with the Rose Bowl; taking the men's basketball tournament to Washington and New York (enraging some fans in the Midwest); adding Friday night football games; pioneering the use of replay in college football; and creating and torpedoing the Legends and Leaders football division names.
He also moved the conference office from a dreary building in Park Ridge to a dynamic complex in Rosemont with a mini museum in the lobby and "B1G" signage impossible to miss for drivers on I-294.
