What Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark had to say about Cincinnati joining conference

ARLINGTON, Texas – Though he's not Jerry Jones or Nolan Ryan, the most influential man in Arlington Wednesday was Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark who delivered the opening remarks for the conference he took over just a year ago. No, he's not the owner of the Cowboys and AT&T Stadium like Jones, nor did he throw no-hitters for the nearby Texas Rangers. But there's not much in the area of sports and entertainment that 56-year-old Yormark hasn't done. He's been a broadcast executive for Katz Sports, with the Detroit Piston and Palace Entertainment, a successful executive in NASCAR, the former CEO of the parent company of the Brooklyn Nets, the CEO of Jay-Z's sports and entertainment agency Roc Nation and since last August, commissioner of the Big 12. Three months into the job, he negotiated a six-year, $2.28 billion dollar TV deal for the conference with ESPN and Fox that starts 2025-26 and runs through 2031. Since then he's unveiled Big 12 Mexico featuring men's and women's basketball games in Mexico by 2024 and a possible football bowl game in Monterrey by 2026. Next spring, a Big 12 Pro Day is planned in nearby Frisco, Texas replacing the traditional on-campus pro days for NFL draft prospects. This spring he announced clinics and summer basketball games at Harlem, New York's Rucker Park. Brett Yormark does not sit still for long. Yormark says goodbye to Texas and Oklahoma, hello to 4 new ones Texas and Oklahoma are off to the Southeastern Conference after this season. Cincinnati, BYU, UCF and Houston made arrangements to join the Big 12 as of July 1. Of the original Big 12, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech remain. Others that have departed are Colorado (Pac-12), Missouri (SEC), Nebraska (Big Ten) and Texas A&M (SEC). Most industry experts currently rank the Big 12 behind the Big Ten and SEC. "I'm really competing with the other Power Five conferences," Yormark said. "I just want the Big 12 to be the best version our ourselves. I can tell you this, there can be no better time to be part of the Big 12 than right now. This thing's going to grow and I'm really excited about our future." Yormark likes having 14 teams which currently will go to 12 when Texas and Oklahoma depart. He referred to the "continuing eight and the new four" and said he isn't necessarily looking to expand but did use the words, "if the opportunity presents itself....". Mascots listen to Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark speak during the first day of Big 12 Media Days in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, July 12, 2023. Expanding the Big 12 footprint With the current configuration, the Big 12 is in eight states and three time zones. Yormark expressed his satisfaction with the Big 12 basketball tournament being in Kansas City (which was attended by UC administration) and announced an extension of the Big 12 championship football game at ATT&T Stadium in Arlington through 2030. "ATT&T Stadium is a world-class venue," Yormark said. "We can start and end the season here and talking to the student-athletes, it's aspirational to be here." How the new schools fit in the current Big 12 + 2 So this year there are 14 teams. UC has the early misfortune of being ranked 13th of the 14 in the Big 12 media preseason poll. Yormark has been impressed by all the so-called Freshman Four. "On July 1, you saw the power of those four brands and how they engage with fans, how they think about brand and how they think about social media," Yormark said. "We reach over 75 million people with the help of those four schools. They bring a lot of value to this conference." Value creation has been a long-standing theme with Yormark. In addition to Cincinnati, he likes BYU's location in the Mountain time zone, calls Houston a top 10 market that's critically important (as well as their basketball program) and likes UCF's position in football-rich Florida. "We're engaged with them (the new four) on a daily basis to the extent that we can help them and amplify what they do, that's our role," Yormark said. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark speaks during the first day of Big 12 Media Days in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, July 12, 2023. The man has a plan he won't divulge...yet Yormark tap-danced around expansion questions Wednesday but is proud of the three time zones the Big 12 is in and has expressed a desire to be in a fourth. That would involve some Pac-12 fallout as has been heavily rumored with the Colorado Buffaloes of Deion Sanders as well as Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah. From a basketball standpoint, Gonzaga would also add a fourth time zone and from Yormark's eastern ties, Connecticut just so happens to be defending national champion. UConn also has a football team coached by Jim Mora Jr. that was 6-7 last season but did make a bowl game (Myrtle Beach). "If they create value and align with our goals and objectives, it's a conversation we'll consider having," Yormark said when asked about a possible Group of Five addition. "Right now there's nothing on the board. We love the current makeup and we're excited about it. It's not about chasing a number, it's about creating value for our membership and we'll see where that takes us." Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark speaks during the first day of Big 12 Media Days in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, July 12, 2023. Big 12 will explore Thursday, Friday games as part of ESPN/Fox TV deal This is nothing new for UC who historically has played TV games on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This season their Big 12 road opener is at BYU on Friday, Sept. 23. Again, audience reach is important to Yormark's idea of value creation. "We're the only conference that's in three (time zones), if we went to four it makes us a little bit more national," Yormark said. "From that regard, we offered different windows to our TV partners, that would be a positive if it were the right fit." From the Big 12 resumé While Texas is favored in this year's Big 12 Preseason Media Poll, it was TCU who made the national championship game last year despite a 2022 preseason Big 12 ranking of No. 7. Of last year's Big 12 combatants, 80% made bowl games, 70% of the men's basketball teams made the NCAA tournament as did 60% of the women's basketball teams. Oklahoma is the national champion in women's softball and the Big 12 had 30 NFL draft picks. In addition to renewing the Big 12 title game at AT&T Stadium, Yormark plans a halftime show the skews to the younger, Generation Z (those born between 1996-2010). As he said last year upon arrival, the Big 12 remains "open for business".