Big 12 Media Days: Yormark Says League is Deepest in America

In his State of the Conference address to open Big 12 Media Days, Commissioner Big 12 Brett Yormark said the league is prepared for the new era and will thrive.

Jul 9, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Big 12 Commissioner Yormark's Comments at Media Days

1. The Big 12 is the Deepest Football Conference in America
2. Basketball and Olympic Sports Got Better with Addition of the New Teams
3. Big 12 Will Prioritize Student-Athletes On and Off the Field
4. Big 12 Will Not Pause and Will Continue to Thrive

The 2024 Big 12 Media Days are underway at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. It's the first time the league brings 16 teams to the event to launch the upcoming football season.

Commissioner Brett Yormark began the two day event on Tuesday with his annual State of the Conference address.

"There has never been a better time than right now to be part of the Big 12," said Yormark to start his address. "We are truly a national conference, in ten states, four time zones. And all eyes are now on the Big 12 for all the right reasons, and I think it's safe to say we're more relevant now than ever before."

The Big 12 is the Deepest Football Conference in America

Commissioner Yormark may have stirred some feathers with other conferences, but he was quite confident about what the new Big 12 looks like on the gridiron.

"On the football front, we will be the deepest conference in America," said Yormark. "Every week will matter. I'm going to say that one more time. We will be the deepest conference in America and every week will matter. We have star power in parity. We boast some of the top players and coaches in the game. November will be incredibly exciting, and we will brand it as a race to the championship."

Basketball and Olympic Sports Got Better with Addition of the New Teams

"Beyond football, the best conference in basketball got better," said Yormark. "Our Olympic sports got stronger, adding four programs with an incredible history of excellence. We recently made some changes across our competition team. Our Olympic sports leadership team is one of the best in the country. Scott Draper is now overseeing all Olympic sports in addition to his role managing football."

"Dayna Scherf will oversee women's basketball," he continued. "It's the first time we've ever had anyone in that role. And given the growth of the game, we needed to double down. We hired Lisa Peterson from the Pac-12 as our new VP of Olympic sports."

Big 12 Will Prioritize Student-Athletes On and Off the Field

"Student-athlete support continues to be at the forefront of what we do," said Yormark. "We have over 70 current and former student-athletes participating in this year's Olympic and Paralympic games. And I plan on being in Paris to support them all."

"This year we'll see Big 12 create new opportunities for our student-athletes on and off the field. Last week, we launched the Big 12 Beyond Borders program, a cultural studies and leadership program, for our student-athletes. We will introduce a new governance group to give a greater voice to student-athletes. In fact, we took that idea from the Pac-12."

"The league will assist schools with student-athletes' storytelling to help build their brands. We will introduce original student-athlete storytelling content this year, named 12 for 12. We will also continue to work with the NCAA to protect our student-athletes from the negatives
that come with sports betting, especially prop bets."

Big 12 Will Not Pause and Will Continue to Thrive

"Obviously, I'm very passionate about where we've been and where we're going," said Yormark. "But I'd be remiss if I didn't touch base on the current state of affairs in our industry."

"We are going through change, but I would rather call it a necessary reset. In 10 years, I think we look back at this period as a positive moment in collegiate athletics history."

"I live my life by the value equation. Those that create value deserve to be rewarded. I speak for many when I say enhanced student-athlete benefits are a good thing, and that's what the recently announced settlement will provide."

"I've spent a lot of time with our P4 peers and Charlie Baker developing our path forward. It's been a cooperative effort, and I want to thank them for their partnership."

"There is still a lot of work to get done we'll work on clarity on Title IX, roster limits and enforcements. And settlement will require continued conversations on the Hill so we can codify the settlement agreement and gain clarity on student-athlete employment."

"I've had a lot of conversations with student-athletes about what their desired goals are, and certainly enhanced benefits are at the top of the list, which we are addressing."

"As we enter this new chapter, I can assure you Big 12 schools will compete at the highest levels, and they will continue to invest."

"We've been preparing for this moment for a long time, and as commissioner, I will continue to create value for our members in order for them to be as competitive as possible."

"This is no time to press pause. We must continue to be bold and aggressive as an industry. The Big 12 will always be ambitious because that's who we are. I know there's a lot of pressure on a lot of people right now, but I will leave you with this: Pressure is a privilege."

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