A major change is coming in the Big 12.
Conference commissioner Brett Yormark will be leaving his current role in the near future, the Big 12 announced Friday.
The news was first reported by Pete Thamel of ESPN.
According to Thamel, “Yormark made the decision to leave and is expected to accept a new role outside of college sports in the near future.”
Yormark will remain in his current position until January 31, 2027.
Since taking over as commissioner in 2022, Yormark has overseen eight new schools enter the Big 12, including BYU and Utah.
“Serving as the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference has been an extraordinary honor,” Yormark said in a statement.
“... I am looking forward to passing the baton to the next commissioner and continuing to cheer this league on as a lifelong fan of the Big 12.”
Yormark’s tenure has featured significant financial success for the conference, most notably its latest football media rights deal in 2022 which pays each member school more than $30 million annually.
At his most recent press conference during Big 12 basketball media days last week, Yormark claimed sponsorship revenue for the league is up 65% this year, and partnership revenue has grown by nearly 3,000% since 2023.
“Speaking on behalf of all of the Big 12 presidents, we thank Brett for shepherding this great conference through an extraordinary period in college athletics,” said University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas A. Girod, Chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors.
“When Brett arrived, we were at a crossroads in the Big 12 and as a college sports enterprise. Brett’s vision, business acumen, and confidence put us on the path we find ourselves on today. He leveraged traditional and non-traditional avenues in the college space, solidifying the Big 12 Conference’s future. We are appreciative of his leadership, wish he and his family well, and look forward to building upon the strong foundation he helped put in place.”
But Yormark’s leadership has not come without its detractors, especially in regards to various attempts at innovation.
The Big 12’s LED-embedded glass court at its 2026 conference basketball tournament was widely lampooned and ultimately abandoned midway through the event.
Additionally, the Big 12’s recent landmark sponsorship deal with Monster Energy has been the source of outside ridicule and controversy.
But the current health and standing of the Big 12 — considering the dramatic changes across college athletics in recent years, along with Texas and Oklahoma’s departure from the conference in 2024 — certainly qualifies its Brett Yormark era as a success.
“When I accepted this job, my goal was to put this conference on an upward trajectory and truly believe that the future of the conference could not be in better shape,” Yormark said. “The next commissioner of this league will inherit a conference that is ’16 Strong.’ There has never been a better time to be a member of the Big 12 than right now.”
The conference has begun a national search for Yormark’s replacement, which will likely be announced by the end of 2026.
