Brett Yormark steps down as Big 12 commissioner
The leader departs after four years of major conference expansion and a $2.28 billion media deal, serving until January 31.
By Ricardo Alvarez ·
Brett Yormark will leave his position as Big 12 Commissioner on January 31, ending a four-year tenure marked by major structural shifts in college athletics.
The announcement came on Friday. Yormark signed a three-year contract extension roughly 18 months ago that was scheduled to keep him in the role through 2030. He is the fifth commissioner in the league's 32-year history.
Yormark stated that his initial objective was to place the conference on an upward path. "When I accepted this job, my goal was to put this conference on an upward trajectory and truly believe that the future of the conference could not be in better shape," he said. He described the league as "16 Strong" and asserted that no prior period offered a better moment for membership.
Before joining the Big 12 in 2022, Yormark served as the chief executive officer of the Brooklyn Nets and later as CEO of Jay-Z's Roc National entertainment company. He replaced Bob Bowlsby, who had previously negotiated the addition of BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF to the conference.
During his time in office, Yormark managed the integration of Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah into the Big 12 following the collapse of the Pac-12. He publicly declared the league "open for business" during the first football media days after his hiring. He also secured a six-year television contract extension with ESPN and Fox worth $2.28 billion amid the rise of name, image, and likeness deals.
Douglas A. Girod, University of Kansas Chancellor and Big 12 board chairman, thanked Yormark on behalf of the conference presidents. Girod noted that Yormark guided the organization through a critical period in college sports. "When Brett arrived, we were at a crossroads in the Big 12 and as a college sports enterprise. Brett’s vision, business acumen, and confidence put us on the path we find ourselves on today," Girod said.
Yormark will remain in his current role until the end of January.
