Kicking off Big 12 Conference media days Tuesday in Las Vegas, league commissioner Brett Yormark heralded his 16 football members as the deepest group anywhere in college football.
Yormark also delved deeper into his desire to see the Big 12 expand its global reach – particularly as it pertains to Mexico – and also indicated a salary cap for college athletics programs – specifically football – “have not been discussed.”
But it was Yormark’s bullish approach on his football programs that set the tone.
“On the football front, we will be the deepest conference in America,” Yorkmark told media gathered on the field inside Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Raiders. “Every week will matter. Let me say that one more time. We will be the deepest conference in America and every week will matter.
“We have star-power and 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.”
Yormark said he exited his league’s 2023 football season underwhelmed.
“I think last year we underperformed a little bit, candidly; I don’t expect that to be the case this year,” Yormark said. “Every week will matter. As I said, November we will brand as the race to the championship. I think it’s going to be really tight this year and it will take towards the end of the year to determine who will show up at AT&T Stadium for that (Big 12) championship game.”
Yormark declined to discuss a potential 14-team playoff but said the Big 12 would be well-represented in the 2024 season, with one guaranteed College Football Playoff berth and "probably more than one."
He said the conference has continued to prioritize establishing a presence in Mexico, which he indicated could initially be women’s soccer or baseball before possible football contests.
“We want to glamorize and elevate and amplify our brand, both domestically and internationally for all the right reasons,” Yormark said. “Not only for student-athletes but just general enrollment.”
Yormark said leagues and their member institutions must already be positioning themselves for the future of collegiate athletics with the impending revenue sharing model and “the settlement,” as Yormark said.
“We have not discussed a salary cap,” said Yormark, who vocalized his push for a title sponsor for the league. “I think settlement provides a crystal clear path forward for our industry.”
Yormark revealed he favors adding commercial branding in more facets of collegiate athletics, including on the uniforms of game officials.
Imagine a Sharpie patch on the black-and-white-striped gameday wear of officiating crews.
“I love what the NCAA recently did with on-field logos,” Yormark said of the NCAA’s decision last month to allow on-field sponsor logos for the regular season. “I.ve been very vocal with 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. I’m optimistic this will happen soon.
“From a conference perspective, we are exploring all options. Two years later (after Yormark’s arrival), I guess you could say we’re still open for business. Naming rights is one [for a presenting sponsor]. Private equity [investment] is another.”
Yormark also revealed the Big 12 has formally partnered with Microsoft to provide tablets for all member institutions for the coming football season, the first in which the NCAA has voted to allow coaches and players to use the digital tools on sidelines and in coaches boxes for instruction during games.