"Open for business" - Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark cites TV agreements with ESPN & Fox, connections on Capitol Hill, and more

Brett Yormark said the Big 12 was "open for business" in his debut press conference during the 2022 Media Days. His stance on assuming control of the conference's leadership left no room for uncertainty. One year down the lane, it's become evident that he meant those words.

Joining the conference from entertainment agency Roc Nation, Yormark has a wealth of experience in administrative capacities. His arrival has seen the Big 12 record tremendous success in many areas at a time many believe they will stumble.

From the onset, the former NASCAR executive had made it clear that the focus will be on moving the Big 12 brand forward. He was ready to get things resolved in all aspects, including a new media deal, expansion, and realignment, NIL and a host of others.

He came in at a time the conference was due to negotiate a new media deal. Many analysts had felt securing a new television deal wouldn't come easy after Texas and Oklahoma exit. However, Brett Yormark was able to negotiate a six-year deal worth $2.28 billion with ESPN and Fox Sports.

Brett Yormark showcased his scorecard at the Big 12 Media Days

Brett Yormark

One year into the job, Brett Yormark has exceeded the expectations of many. He was not shy to talk about his achievement during the 2023 Media Days, noting that the conference will continue to be at the forefront of innovation.

"It's been a busy 11 months, but it's not necessarily about where we have been. It's about where we are going. As we look forward, we will continue to innovate, create and positively disrupt, living at the intersections of culture, sports, and business."

He further clarified what he meant by "open for business" in his inaugural press conference. He explained the idea was to explore new possibilities and disrupt the existing norms in the industry with a series of innovations, and that have been brilliantly executed.

“I think people took that as, my God, this guy’s new and he wants to go and disrupt, I guess, in some respects. Open for business was that we were going to explore every and all possibility to grow revenue, to diversify our conference and do things that hadn’t been done before. And we did a lot of that.”

Yormark also made it known that the Big 12 has plans for expansion and hopes the process can begin as soon as possible. However, he expressed confidence that the current composition of the conference is good enough to achieve success.

“We do have a plan and hopefully we can execute that plan sooner than later. I love the composition of this conference right now. ... And if we stay at 12 (teams), we’re perfectly fine with that.”

In giving the press a good insight, Brett Yormark shared a screen listing his achievement after one year in charge of the conference. The conference now appears to be on the right track after what could have been a tumultuous period.