Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren ‘90 J.D. received two prestigious awards over Super Bowl weekend – the Minorities in Sports Business Recognition and the Steinberg DeNicola Humanitarian Award. The latter honors Warren's commitment to addressing community issues within the NFL, particularly in his initiatives supporting pediatric cancer.
Warren's connection with Leigh Steinberg dates back to Warren’s time as a student at Notre Dame Law School. Warren heard Steinberg speak at one of his law school classes, leaving a lasting impact that influenced Warren's decision to pursue a career as a sports agent.
Warren’s career has spanned from sports agent, to attorney, to NFL executive. He started his NFL career with the St. Louis Rams in 1997, followed by a stint at the Detroit Lions, and then 15 years in executive positions with the Minnesota Vikings. In 2020, Warren became the sixth Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, marking the first time a Black leader held this position in the Big Ten or any of the Power Five conferences. In 2023, Warren was named the new team president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Bears. He is the first president and CEO hired from outside the Bears organization and the first Black president in team history.
In 2021, Warren joined Notre Dame Law School Dean G. Marcus Cole for a conversation at the Chicago Athletic Association the night before Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series game at Soldier Field. Read about their conversation, “Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren ’90 J.D speaks at Chicago ND Lawyers event.”
Read more about Warren’s career and time at ND Law in the article, “How Kevin Warren '90 J.D. went from ND Law to Big Ten commissioner.”
Originally published by at law.nd.edu on February 28, 2024.