Big Ten’s Kevin Warren Envisions Having 20 Members, Paying Players

The conference announced a seven-year media rights deal this week worth more than $7 billion.

In an interview with HBO Sports’ Bryant Gumbel that airs on Tuesday, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said he sees the conference having 20 members and paying players in the future.

Big Ten’s Kevin Warren tells @RealSportsHBO he sees Big Ten having 20 members & paying players. “Those (paying players) are things we have to resolve. We have to. So I want to be part of this conversation & will be part of this conversation of what we can do to make this better”

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 19, 2022

“Those are things that we have to resolve,” Warren said. “I want to be part of this conversation and will be part of this conversation of what we can do to make this better.”

The Big Ten just announced a seven-year media rights deal with FOX, CBS and NBC that is expected to bring in more than $7 million. That could result in a windfall for the student-athletes at its 16 member institutions.

“One of the things I’m excited about is being able to have honest dialogue with our student-athletes,” Warren said. “Have there been little changes that have been made? Yes. But we need to really sit down and start getting these issues on the table and start making some decisions.

Speaking of new members UCLA and USC, who will officially join the Big Ten in 2024, Warren doesn’t expect expansion to end there. Asked if he could foresee a 20-team conference, he said he anticipates “perpetual and future” growth.

“There’s going to be a lot of disruption, and that’s OK,” Warren said. “We need to embrace it if we want to make sure that we continually build college athletics in a position where it’s here 100 and 200 years from now.”

Warren’s full interview will air at 11 p.m. on Aug. 23 on HBO and HBO Max.

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