Retired Big Ten commissioner receives hefty revenue share payday

The Big Ten recently disclosed their revenue figures for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Most of the attention around the numbers were focused around the significant distribution payment each member school received, which came out to around $72 million.

While that disbursement is certainly notable, there were some other intriguing figures including in the conference's announcement. One such line item included a line item involving former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, who served in the role from 1989 through 2020.

It was reported that Delany received nearly $6 million during the 2024-2025 fiscal year in bonuses and deferred compensation, and was paid another $600,000 in consulting fees during the period.

Jim Delany got the greatest retirement gift. He’s been gone since 2020 and still received more than $6M last year. https://t.co/J14g8k4QuR— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) May 3, 2026

The Big Ten has a history of sticking with a "gone, but not forgotten" credo. The conference also awarded former commissioner Kevin Warren nearly $6 million in the 2023-2024 fiscal year for his efforts in securing a historic media rights deal.

Delany's retirement package is estimated to be around $20 million.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Big Ten Football: Jim Delany still being paid revenue share