Big 12 Exploring Naming Rights Deal with Allstate, Others
The Big 12 could have a new name soon.
In the age of conference realignment, NIL and the transfer portal, college sports are evolving rapidly. With these unprecedented times will come more unprecedented moves, including sponsored conferences.
On Thursday, Pete Thamel reported that the Big 12 is exploring selling its naming rights to a title sponsor. Not including media rights, Thamel reported that it could be one of the largest commercial deals in the history of college sports.
Brett McMurphy followed up with a report that the conference is already in talks with Allstate to become the title sponsor of the Big 12. With a deal that could be worth $30-50 million annually, the conference would split the revenue among the 16 members.
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If Allstate were to get the naming rights, the conference could be renamed to the Allstate 12 or the Big Allstate conference. However, the conference is still exploring other options, including a financial company that could pay more than Allstate.
If the Big 12 looks to explore options beyond that, a brand like Dr. Pepper, which is the title sponsor of the Big 12 Football Championship, could be an option.
With the recent NCAA ruling that corporate logos would be allowed on the field, the further commercialization of college athletics is only beginning. As professional leagues such as the NBA and MLB have added sponsors to their uniforms, that could be the next step in college.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has expressed his desire to find new revenue streams throughout his tenure, and making the Big 12 the first college conference with a sponsor could help him achieve this goal. As he continues to find ways to grow the conference, changes will continue to be made and more potentially groundbreaking moves could be in the near future.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.