One of the top officials for the Big 12 conference has taken a position in the USC athletic department.

USC announced on Friday it has hired Ed Stewart to serve on Mike Bohn’s leadership team as the executive senior associate athletic director for football administration. With the Trojans, Stewart’s job duties will include oversight of the football program, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The hire comes as USC looks to replace Brandon Sosna, who recently left for a job in the Detroit Lions’ front office.

Stewart has spent the past 16 years with the Big 12, serving as the league’s lead football administrator. He and USC head football coach Lincoln Riley have a prior relationship due to the nature of Stewart’s past work. ESPN reported that his work with the league through various periods of conference realignment was attractive to USC as it prepares to move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.

For Stewart, the move looks to be about readying for an athletic director position. A former national champion with Nebraska in 1994, Stewart’s name emerged in the Huskers’ athletic director search last fall. Nebraska ultimately went in a different direction, but it was reported that there was serious interest between the sides.