I'd have to disagree with the folks who imply that any commish would have positioned the B1G the same. 2 things stand out to me.
Being able to snag Penn State was a huge get. Others may not have had the desire to break tradition, or the foresight to see the bigger picture then.
Big Jim also told ESPiN to f*ck themselves, and started a conference network. That was a big risk. Even with the large alumni bases he inherited, going into that territory with cable and streaming was a ballsy move. Now everybody is trying to copy the success. I don't see just anybody going down that road.