Big Ten Bylaws Say School Presidents/Chancellors Hold 'Ultimate Authority,' Not Commissioner

Since 1952, the Big Ten Conference has been run by the Council of Presidents and Chancellors and the commissioner reports to that group on all enforcement of conference rules and regulations.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The current public outcry toward the Big Ten Conference commissioner may be misplaced, per the league bylaws.

Unless he went rogue with a decision to cancel the fall sports season with the hope of being able to play them in the spring semester, league bylaws suggest Kevin Warren didn’t ultimately make the decision. The language of the bylaws that have guided the Big Ten legislative decision-making process suggest Warren was simply authorized to announce and enforce the decision of the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors.

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren talks with the media about todays cancellation of the Mens Big Ten Tournament :: Thomas J. Russo/USA TODAY Sports

The COP/C, which was established in 1952 then as ‘Council of Ten’ but renamed when Penn State University joined the Big Ten Conference in 1990, has “ultimate authority and responsibility for Big Ten Conference governance” and therefore, any decision to cancel or postpone an entire semester’s sports season would need their majority approval. Moreover, a vote of the COP/C is how the process electing a commissioner is done and the COP/C duties also includes “determining the duties of the Big Ten Commissioner, enforcing conference rules, agreements, appendices and bylaws, amending or repealing bylaws and admitting new institutions into membership.”

What changed between today and last week's schedule release?@BTNDaveRevsine asked Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren following the decision to postpone the 2020 football season: pic.twitter.com/cFIX83PPVf

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 11, 2020

Jeff Wald, a digital sports reporter at FOX 9 in Minnesota, reported Monday that he was told by University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel there was “no vote” among the presidents and chancellors last week, when the decision was made to eliminate the fall 2020 sports calendar. 

#PennState AD Sandy Barbour on #B1G decision: "It is unclear to me whether or not there was a vote. No one’s ever told me there was. I just don’t know whether there actually was a vote by the chancellors and presidents."

Wow.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) August 17, 2020

This report and the numerous reports quoting Penn State athletics director Sandy Barbour saying she “was unaware” of a vote taking place would directly contradict the specific and clear language in league bylaws. If Warren went rouge with a decision without approval of the 14 university presidents/chancellors, the league bylaws would suggest the COP/C could immediately terminate its agreement with Warren if it deemed he violated and/or overstepped his authority as commissioner.

The report out of Minnesota and Penn State also contradicts the comments of University of Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman on Aug. 12, the day after the fall sports season was eliminated.

"I've had conversations throughout the summer with our chancellor Robert Jones but of course, those conversations increased in frequency over the last few weeks and many days,” Whitman said on a Zoom video media conference. “He's been in constant consultation not only with me and our university medical personnel task force as well. Of course, he went in yesterday to a meeting of all the Council of Presidents and Chancellors, which is given the authority to govern college athletics certainly through our Big Ten Conference. They made the decision they did and we support that decision. Clearly it is rooted in the health and safety of our student-athletes."

Randy Wade, the father of Ohio State captain and All-Big Ten cornerback Shaun Wade, has confirmed to several news outlets he is attempting to organize a protest on Friday in front of the Big Ten headquarters located in Rosemont, Ill.

See ya "Early Friday Morning" We gotta Fight and we can't let these young men FIGHT ALONE.... ALL BIG TEN FANS STAND UP.... pic.twitter.com/qjbaQVcRSX

— Randy L Wade💯%🐐 f@❌ℹLy..... (@gslsff) August 18, 2020

"How many petitions must there be for the Big Ten to actually look into this?" Wade told ESPN on Tuesday. "We only have a certain amount of time to correct this, so we need to come together and show more unity and just make them uncomfortable, make them come out of their shells and give us some answers to some questions and hopefully rewind back and open things back up."

However, while Wade clearly is within his rights to protest in Cook County, Ill., the anger from the father of Ohio State’s All-Big Ten cornerback might need to be directed to the members of the COP/C who voted to cancel the 2020 fall football in the Big Ten Conference.