Jim Delany To Step Down As Big Ten Commissioner In June 2020
Update 4:20 p.m.: Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour released a statement of congratulations to Jim Delany following his retirement.
You can read Barbour’s full statement below:
On behalf of the Nittany Lions, I extend a hearty congratulations to Jim and Kitty on the announcement of Jim’s retirement in 2020. Jim has worked tirelessly to the betterment of intercollegiate athletics for his 30 years at the Big Ten and the entirety of his career. The Big Ten, tens of thousands of student-athletes, and millions of alumni and fans have been the beneficiary of his creativity, business acumen, and unparalleled negotiations. He’s made an exceedingly difficult job and role look easy. We couldn’t have had a better leader. Thank you, Jim, you’ll be greatly missed!
Original Story: The Big Ten announced Jim Delany will no longer be the conference’s commissioner when his contract expires on June 30, 2020.
Delany’s tenure as the Big Ten commissioner began in 1989, and he oversaw Penn State’s addition to the conference in 1990. Since then, however, he hasn’t been the most popular figure among Nittany Lion fans.
The commissioner supported the sanctions handed down to Penn State in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal in 2012. Delany said the conference was even prepared to add onto Penn State’s punishment, which included a $60 million fine, four-year bowl ban, reduced scholarships, and allowing players to immediately transfer with no permission.
When the team’s sanctions were reduced in 2014, Delany explained how allowing Penn State to compete in the conference’s championship game wasn’t an evaluation of the initial sanctions.
“I don’t think this is an assessment of the original penalty as much as it’s an assessment of the desire to change the program’s policies, make adjustments to conduct and behavior,” Delany said in a statement. “There’s a belief that a lot of that has occurred, and therefore the penalty should be modified. If they’re eligible for the postseason, they should certainly be eligible for our championship.”
Additionally, Delany insisted Ohio State deserved a spot in the 2016 College Football Playoff instead of Penn State — that season’s conference champion. Delany previously stated that only conference champions should be considered for the four-team playoff when the current CFP format was introduced.
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