Jim Delany's impact on Big Ten will be hard to replicate

In July 2008, I sat with Jim Delany in his office at the old Big Ten headquarters, a nondescript building not far from Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

Delany had led the conference for nearly two decades. The Big Ten Network was about a year old, and it had recently gained distribution on Comcast following a difficult and drawn-out negotiation with the cable provider. The Rose Bowl agreement and other bowl pacts were strong. The Big Ten had representation in recent Final Fours and BCS national title games. The league's lucrative media rights agreement would last another eight years. Conference realignment was quiet.

If Delany had an exit plan, the timing lined up. When I asked about retirement,…