ROSEMONT, lll. — The Big Ten Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) today named Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Anil Gollahalli interim commissioner effective Friday, April 14, when Commissioner Kevin Warren departs the conference to become the president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Bears. Gollahalli will serve as interim commissioner until May 15, when Tony Petitti officially begins his tenure as the seventh commissioner in Big Ten Conference history.

As the Interim Commissioner, Gollahalli will assume all commissioner duties as set forth in the Big Ten Conference Bylaws, including but not limited to, the day-to-day authority and management of the conference office and responsibilities to the 14 (soon-to-be 16) world-class Big Ten Conference member institutions. 

Gollahalli is a well-respected and collaborative higher education and collegiate athletics veteran who will also continue his duties as chief legal officer and general counsel for the conference.

About the Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness, and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,500 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.
   
For more information, contact:
Carrie G. Cecil
Big Ten Conference & ANACHEL Communications
ccecil@bigten.org
carrie@anachel.com