Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark will step down from his role and take a position outside of college athletics, the league announced Friday. Yormark is expected to remain with the conference through January 31, 2027.
Transformative Tenure
Yormark assumed the commissioner role in 2022 during a period of major conference realignment. He oversaw the addition of eight new schools in two years and negotiated a long-term television contract with ESPN and Fox that stabilized the league's finances. Coming from a background as CEO of Jay-Z's Roc Nation, as well as experience with NASCAR and the Brooklyn Nets, Yormark brought an aggressive, business-focused approach that increased the conference's revenue portfolio, including a naming-rights partnership with Monster Energy and a live music halftime show at the Big 12 Championship Game.
His tenure also saw the Big 12 outmaneuver the Pac-12 in media negotiations, leading to the departure of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State and the eventual collapse of the Pac-12. While some of his proposals, such as pursuing UConn and international games, were unpopular, his leadership is credited with securing the Big 12's survival after the loss of Texas and Oklahoma.
Search for Successor Begins
With Yormark's departure, the Big 12 faces a pivotal hire ahead of its next television contract in 2031. Kansas chancellor Doug Girod, who chairs the Big 12 Board of Directors, said the conference will look for an innovator with campus experience to continue revenue diversification. The search will consider candidates from traditional college athletics backgrounds, like SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, as well as media executives such as Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.
