How much is the Big 12 media deal per school? Analyzing Brett Yormark's commitment with ESPN and Fox

Just a few months into Brett Yormark's tenure, the Big 12 secured a new media deal. The league struck a six-year extension deal worth $2.28 billion with ESPN and Fox in the last quarter of 2022, which ensured a sizable pay bump for the member schools.

The new media deal equates to an average of $380 million in annual value, marking a huge increase from $220 million in the previous deal. This amounts to an average annual earning of $31.7 million per school. The new media deal is set to take off in 2025.

The television deal came at a time when the conference was confronted with the possibility of an uncertain future due to the evolving dynamics of collegiate sports. The groundbreaking media rights agreement instills confidence in the conference fans in the league's future.

The new agreement entails ESPN's ownership of over 60% of the content, with Fox contributing a significant share focused on college basketball. The schools in the conference are projected to receive $50 million in total revenue when the deal commences.

Stable future for the Big 12 under Brett Yormark

The foremost responsibility undertaken by Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, who assumed the role from long-standing league leader Bob Bowlsby on August 1, 2022, was to secure a more robust media rights agreement. He was able to execute that brilliantly.

The new media deal gave the conference the needed insurance and stability after having its fair share of concerns and turmoil for the prior two years. Oklahoma and Texas' exits to the Southeastern Conference were the conference's worst fears realized.

However, Yormark secured a lucrative deal, despite the two's absence. There was a concern that the departure of their two largest brands could plunge the conference into turmoil, giving rise to speculation that the conference might merge with other entities.

The conference is expected to continue to maintain a strong presence in the Power Five. As Texas and Oklahoma prepare to join the SEC in 2025, the Big 12 has countered the loss by recruiting upcoming conference participants: BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF.

The conference isn't stopping there. It has proceeded with further expansion, one that could be detrimental to the Pac-12. Notably, the Big 12 recently added Colorado to its fold from the Pac-12 and is looking at more teams from the conference.

The Big 12 faces a stable future in college sports under the leadership of Brett Yormark. With new innovations in the pipeline, the conference is ready to compete with the Big Ten and SEC in the college sports landscape.