Big 12 expansion news: Despite losing Texas and Oklahoma, Commissioner Brett Yormark makes superconfident remarks about conference's future
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is confident about the direction of the conference amid expansion speculation and uncertainty. He expressed a positive outlook on the conference’s future in an exclusive interview with the Dallas Morning News.
Yormark went in-depth on new innovations expected to usher the conference into a new era. On the possible expansion of the conference, he said the ambition of the Big 12 is to establish a presence in the four time zones. But he explained that he is approaching the expansion from the perspective of value creation as it connects to TV rights.
“If there’s no value creation, I can’t see us growing our TV deal in that next cycle, then why expand?” Yormark said.
For Yormark, it is time to build the conference’s global appeal. Where else to start than Mexico? According to him, Mexico is “one of the most desirable markets in the world right now. Given our geographic footprint, it’s a perfect extension for us.”
The “Mexican Dream” for the conference entails plans to schedule games at Mexico City’s Arena CDMX sometime in December 2024. The games will be between the Kansas Jayhawks’ and the University of Houston Cougars' men's and women's basketball teams. Other plans include matchups between the conference’s women’s soccer and baseball teams and Mexican regional teams.
Yormark also spoke on new innovations to improve the viewership experience of fans. Plans to live in-game interviews and mic-ed-up the coaches to give the fans greater locker-room access have been discussed with the presidents and coaches. This is aimed at making the Big 12 “the conference of access and innovation.
“We want to give fans a peek behind the curtains,” Yormark said.
Other highlights of Yormark’s interview include discussions about plans for a commercial outreach to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and beyond. For that, the conference’s commercial division is to be controlled in-house. Furthermore, the pro day for college football players will become a conference event starting in 2024.
Conference realignment and the fate of the Big 12
The Big 12 has been a major victim of ongoing conference realignment. Two of its biggest members, Oklahoma and Texas, will be moving to the SEC by 2024. Although it has brought in their replacements, UCF, Cincinnati, Houston and BYU, the conference is still perceived as weak and needs revitalization.
Yormark became the Big 12 commissioner on August 1, 2022. He closed the new TV deal worth $2.28 billion with the conference’s TV partners, ESPN and Fox. The deal is expected to run from 2025 to 2031. Expectations are heavy on him to reinforce the conference’s place as a Power Five conference.