A few hours ago, the Big 12 Conference announced a three-year contract extension for Commissioner Brett Yormark, securing his leadership through 2030. Yormark stepped into the role in August 2022 and has since been a key figure in seeing the Big 12 through a turbulent time. This extension signals the conference’s confidence in his vision for the future.
The conference, founded in 1994, faced a major crisis when two flagship programs, Oklahoma and Texas, announced their departure for the SEC in 2021, with the move finalized in 2023. This exit threatened the conference’s stability, as the two schools were athletic powerhouses and major revenue drivers.
Yormark’s Early Impact in Stabilizing the Big 12
When he took over, the Big 12 was reeling. The departure of Oklahoma and Texas could have spelled disaster, with some predicting a 50 percent drop in media revenue, according to former Commissioner Bob Bowlsby in 2021. But Yormark, a former executive with the Brooklyn Nets and Roc Nation, brought a fresh perspective.
His business-first mindset was clear from day one when he declared at the 2022 Big 12 Media Days that the conference was “open for business.” One of his first major wins was securing a six-year, $2.28 billion media deal extension with ESPN and Fox Sports, finalized in 2022. The extension begins in the 2023 season and will run through the 2030-2031 academic year.
This deal, worth $380 million annually, significantly strengthened the conference’s per-school media revenue from $22 million to $31.7 million.
Yormark also quickly expanded the conference, adding BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston in 2023, followed by Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah from the Pac-12 in 2024. These additions grew the Big 12 to 16 teams across 10 states, giving it a broader geographic footprint and new markets to tap into.
Sources: The Big 12 Board of Directors has agreed to a three-year contract extension with Commissioner Brett Yormark. The extension will run through 2030, as he’d originally agreed in 2022 to a five-year deal through 2027. pic.twitter.com/7HskLfnhqS
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) May 6, 2025
Can Yormark Keep the Momentum?
The Big 12’s competitive standing in the Power Four will be tested as the College Football Playoff expands and revenue distribution favors the SEC and Big Ten. There’s also the question of further expansion; rumors persist about Clemson and Florida State as potential targets, though legal hurdles make those moves uncertain.
KEEP READING: Top 5 Big 12 Football Teams Entering 2025
What’s clear is that Yormark has transformed the Big 12 from a conference on the brink into a proactive player in college sports. His focus on innovation, from media strategy to private equity, positions the Big 12 to adapt to whatever changes come next. If he can maintain this momentum, the Big 12 might not just survive the realignment era, it could thrive, proving that betting big on Yormark was the right call.
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