Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Comments on League Without Oklahoma, Texas

The new commissioner says his conference will move forward without the Sooners and Longhorns, and also confirmed the reported scheduling model starting next year.

New Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark minced no words when describing what he thinks the league will look like without flagships Oklahoma and Texas.

In regards to negotiation new television contract without the Sooners and Longhorns among the inventory, Yormark shows only optimism.

“I know the media has stated that with the loss of Texas and Oklahoma, our number would go backwards ,” Yormark said. “Let me say it very clearly: We're not going backwards, and we're not staying flat. We're going up. The question is how far up?”

Yormark said Tuesday at Big 12 Basketball Media Days in Kansas City that his “gut” feeling was that the league would begin negotiations with current partners ESPN and Fox before the February 2024 formal negotiating window opens.

And those negotiations will depict a Big 12 without OU and Texas — but not before 2025.

“They committed themselves in advance of me getting here,” Yormark said. “They’ve reiterated that commitment, so they’ll be here through the duration (of the current grant of rights agreement), and my relationship with both Texas and Oklahoma is very, very strong.”

Yormark also confirmed what was reported by ESPN and CBS Sports last week that in 2023 and 2024, a football and basketball scheduling model has been set — and revealed that next year’s football schedule will be announced in late November or early December.

With BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston joining the Big 12 next year, the league will have 14 members but will not have divisions, Yormark said.

“And over a two-year period, each of the schools will play each other at least once,” he said. “So, excited for what that schedule will look like when we finally put it out.

“Rivalries will be preserved, absolutely. Looking at geography, obviously, from a student-athlete perspective and travel. So all those principles are part of the decision making, but we’re in a great place.”

Yormark said he wants to “nationalize the conference. I want future student-athletes to want to come to the conference for all the right reasons. I want us to show up in places we haven't been before.”

But he also said he wants to “lay out an international strategy over the next six months.”

And basketball, he said, it a big part of that. 

"Basketball's my passion," he said.

Yormark’s background with the Brooklyn Nets and his dealings with athletes and celebrities at Roc Nation give him insight into the league’s value beyond football.

“You hear a lot of about football, but basketball is huge,” he said. “It's a global sport. It's everywhere. I'm excited to be part of this. On the men's side, we're arguably the best conference in the country. Same on the women's side.

“I’m really bullish on this conference.”