Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark covered plenty of ground Tuesday at Big 12 Media Days, “touching on everything from the conference’s newest corporate partnership and international ambitions to College Football Playoff expansion, private equity and the future makeup of the league.” If there “was one theme that kept resurfacing throughout Yormark’s opening remarks, it was globalization.” The commissioner “again emphasized the conference’s commitment to expanding beyond” the U.S., “highlighting this year’s international schedule” that includes TCU opening the season in Dublin against North Carolina and Arizona State facing Kansas in the first-ever college football game at Wembley Stadium. When asked about the possibility of further expansion, he “made it clear the priority is no longer adding schools but continuing to strengthen the 16-member league already in place.” That does not “necessarily close the door on future expansion,” but it “signals a notable change in philosophy” (247SPORTS.com, 7/7).
During the Q&A portion of his opening address, Yormark was asked whether the commissioner “supported Texas Tech football during the initial stages” of the Brendan Sorsby saga and “when that may have changed.” Yormark said, “Today’s not the time to address that issue.” During his opening remarks, Yormark said that sports gambling “remains ‘an industry-wide concern’ and that the league is extending its partnership with IC360 to monitor activity.” Another member of the media “tried to go about the question in a different way, asking Yormark about the hope of settling such issues outside of the courtroom.” Yormark “again sidestepped the context of the question, offering a general thought instead.” Yormark: “Integrity for the game is critically important, for all sports in this conference” (LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL, 7/7).
As for CFP expansion, Yormark “doubled down” on his desire to see it move to 24 teams and “acknowledged that it could mean the loss of conference championship games.” Yormark: “When 24 became part of the conversation, we’ve done our own conference due diligence around it, and we think it might be a great fit for us. ... We do need to understand the economics. Is there a marketplace to go to 24? We have to understand the scheduling dynamic and what that means, and the unintended consequences, as it relates to our championship game. That’s a huge tent pole event for us” (DESERET NEWS, 7/7).
While Yormark “was encouraged by changes in college sports,” he also “acknowledged the challenges the industry faces.” He “praised recent efforts, especially by” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), for “helping to craft bipartisan legislation to create a more consistent national framework for college athletics.” He also “praised the recent drive to address issues surrounding eligibility and transfer portal issues” and “expressed optimism about the future of the College Sports Commission” after its first year (SI, 7/7).
