Brett Yormark reveals major reason behind adding four Pac-12 schools to Big 12 expansion in his conference realignment plans 

The Big 12 Media Days kicked off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Tuesday and commissioner Brett Yormark gave his yearly address covering issues like conference realignment and its growth.

In the past few years, the conference has moved Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado from the Pac-12, leaving just Oregon State and Washington State as its only current members.

Yormark revealed the biggest reason why he opted to add the programs that they acquired referencing the football side of things and boasting about the resources his conference has in terms of elite programs.

"(Adding) the Four Corner schools was the A scenario for us (the Big 12) when we thought about realignment. Great fanbases, both athletic and academic excellence. We got deeper and better in football, deeper and better in basketball, and deeper and better in Olympic sports," Yormark said.

"One the football front," Yormark said, "we will be the deepest conference in America, and every week will matter. We have star power and parity. November will be incredibly exciting, and we will brand it as a race to the championship."

Brett Yormark explores Big 12 commercial opportunities

The recent House settlement deal that mandated student-athletes to become paid employees of their respective programs has placed the onus on various conferences to ensure that they maximize commercial opportunities.

The Big 12 has slipped behind the SEC (Southeastern Conference) and the Big Ten in terms of media rights deals and commissioner Brett Yomark, who has overseen the rapid realignment by the conference is pushing for further commercial ventures.

Some of the options he brought up during the Media Days include selling the naming rights of the conference, which has been an option since June, and even allowing for private equity.

Yormark revealed how he hoped to raise more revenue by adding commercial advertising to the official's uniforms, which is a practice not currently allowed, but which could change in the near future.

“We will push at the NCAA level,” Brett Yormark said. “In fact, I love what they recently did with on-field logos. I’ve been very vocal about the NCAA to push for making commercial patches permissible for officials’ uniforms, similar to what the NBA has done. I’ve spoken to our football officials, and they are in favor of it, and I’m optimistic this will happen soon."

The NBA referees wear uniforms with red logos advertising Emirates which is what the Big 12 commissioner is hoping to replicate in what is proving to be a dynamic, new era in college sports.