Update 12 p.m. May 4: The Big Ten officially announced Kevin Warren will take the reins as the conference’s commissioner at a news conference Tuesday.

Warren will take over for Jim Delany on September 16, 2019. Delany was originally slated to step down on June 30, 2020, but the conference will accelerate the transition between him and its new leader.

“I’m truly humbled and honored, I feel incredibly blessed, and first and foremost have to thank God for this opportunity,” Warren said. “To have an opportunity to lead the Big Ten conference and follow in the shoes of Jim Delany is truly an honor. It’ll definitely be a challenge, but my entire life has been about overcoming challenges.”

The Big Ten’s new leader made a significant impact during his four-year term as the Minnesota Vikings’ COO. He played a key role in getting the Vikings a new stadium and having the organization host Super Bowl LII.

Original Story: Minnesota Vikings Chief Operating Officer Kevin Warren is reportedly the Big Ten conference’s next commissioner, according a tweet by Mully And Haugh, hosts of 670 The Score’s morning show. The conference is expected to announce the news at 12 p.m. Tuesday at a press conference.

Jim Delany, the Big Ten’s commissioner since 1989, announced his plans to step down from his role this past March. Delany’s term will officially come to an end when his current contract expires on June 30, 2020.

According to a tweet by Adam Schefter, Warren would become the first African-American commissioner of a Power Five conference. He began his career as a practicing lawyer, eventually establishing his own sports and entertainment agency, Kevin Warren & Associates.

Warren has worked in several NFL front offices, including the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions, and was promoted to the role of COO of the Minnesota Vikings in February 2015.

Warren, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, would be just the sixth commissioner in the Big Ten’s 97-year history.