Brett Yormark, new Big 12 commissioner, updates conference's stance on expansion

Brett Yormark is still new on the job as the Big 12 commissioner, but he’s jumped right into the realignment discussions as it relates to expansion.

“There’s no doubt the Big 12 is open for business,” he said Tuesday, and referred to the upcoming media rights deal.

Yormark, a former executive with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and former CEO of the Brooklyn Nets, recently took over for Bob Bowlsby, who previously was an athletics director at Stanford, Iowa and Northern Iowa. Yormark spoke in optimistic terms about making the Big 12 a national conference, and to build the brand and business.

About other schools joining the conference, Yormark offered the latest update.

“I think it’s fair to say I’ve received a lot of phone calls. … Nothing is imminent, but we’re working hard to make sure the Big 12 is positioned in the best possible way,” he said.

New Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark going straight to the bottom line: “There is no doubt the Big 12 is open for business.” Says the upcoming media rights deal is the most important issue. “Everything we do must create momentum for these negotiations.”

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) July 13, 2022

When asked directly about adding Pac-12 schools, new commish Brett Yormark said, “We are exploring all options. We’re open for business. … it’s fair to say I’ve received a lot of phone calls, a lot of interest. We’re exploring those levels of interest. Nothing is imminent.”

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) July 13, 2022

Brett Yormark: “I think there’s incredible upside with the Big 12. It’s one of the reasons I’m here today. We have a chance to build our brand and business, nationalize our conference in a way that hasn’t been done before.”

— Max Olson (@max_olson) July 13, 2022