ACC hires Northwestern AD Phillips as new commissioner
The Atlantic Coast Conference hired Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips on Monday to be the league’s next commissioner, replacing the retiring John Swofford. Phillips has been Northwestern’s AD since 2008, leading the athletic department through a period of success in competition and growth in facilities. The Chicago native has also worked at Notre Dame under current Duke athletic director Kevin White and was athletic director at Northern Illinois before taking over at Northwestern in the Big Ten. “As I’ve said many times before, having been an athletic director prior to sitting in this chair is a tremendous benefit, and that will serve him well. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the ACC had not released terms of Phillips' deal.
Big Ten Commissioner Warren creates anti-racism coalition
The Big Ten's Kevin Warren, the first black commissioner of a Power Five conference, is creating a coalition to give the league's athletes a platform to voice their concerns about racism. Warren announced Monday the formation of the Big Ten Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition, with athletes, coaches, athletic director and university chancellors and presidents. It was one year ago Tuesday, that Warren, a former NFL executive with the Minnesota Vikings, was offered the job of Big Ten commissioner. I trust our chancellors, our presidents and our athletic directors and our coaches and our student-athletes, Warren said. Warren said he felt a responsibility to 10,000 student athletes in the Big Ten to try to combat systemic racism.