Jim Delany
Jim Delany
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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James E. "Jim" Delany is the former Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, a position he held from 1988 to 2020.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: January 1, 1944,
No record of death available
Nationality and Profession(s)
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American
Sports administrator, businessman
Early Life and Background
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Jim Delany was born in Chicago, Illinois. His educational background includes a Bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1966) and a law degree from the same institution (1970). He began his career as an assistant athletic director at Ohio State University before joining the Big Ten Conference.
Major Accomplishments
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Delany has been instrumental in shaping the modern college sports landscape. Some of his notable achievements include:
Leading the Big Ten Conference through significant growth and revenue increases during his tenure.
Developing innovative conference policies, such as the creation of the Legends Division (formerly known as the Leaders Division) and the introduction of a conference championship game for football.
Notable Works or Actions
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Delany's impact on college sports extends beyond his administrative accomplishments. He has been an outspoken advocate for student-athlete welfare and has championed initiatives aimed at improving their experience. Some notable works and actions include:
Playing a key role in the creation of the College Athlete Bill of Rights, which outlined 10 core principles to enhance athlete safety and well-being.
Advocating for increased transparency in college sports through measures such as live-streaming conference meetings.
Impact and Legacy
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Delany's legacy is multifaceted. His efforts have contributed significantly to the growth and revenue of college athletics. He has also been a driving force behind initiatives aimed at enhancing the experience of student-athletes. Delany's commitment to transparency and accountability has left a lasting impact on the sports world.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Jim Delany is widely quoted and remembered for his innovative approach to conference administration, his advocacy for student-athlete welfare, and his efforts to increase transparency in college sports. His legacy continues to shape the landscape of college athletics, making him a notable figure in the world of sports administration.
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Note: The absence of death information was due to no available data on Jim Delany's passing date at the time of writing.
Quotes by Jim Delany
I don't think we'd ever treat any school like we were treated at Ohio State,'' Carr said.
Intercollegiate athletics is a big business, ... For anyone to say it's not would be disingenuous.
Intercollegiate athletics is a big business. For anyone to say it's not would be disingenuous.
If you disagree with it, that's your right. It's your choice. It's OK, ... But we have a lot of people coming to our games. We've got a lot of people watching our games (on TV). ... Why would we change what we're doing?
The bowls know what they know. And the selection process is sacrosanct. We may get disappointed, but that is the nature of the bowl system.
It was an effective p.r. effort by the Cowen group, I don't think there's any doubt about that. All things being equal, we wouldn't have gone to a fifth bowl. ... Although we were moving in an evolutionary way toward more inclusion, whether we would have gotten to this point, I doubt it. I think we were pushed to this point.
There have been discussions about the Big Ten being down, and my reaction was, ?I don't think we're down,? ... I don't think we have a Kentucky or an Arizona in our league. But I'd rather have quality depth than shallow depth in one or two good teams. And I think that's what we have.
To have Penn State back in the mainstream is a very good thing, not just for the Big Ten but for all of college football.