IRVING, Texas — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, who brought Arizona State and Arizona into the conference, is leaving the league after four years, the Associated Press reported via Arizona Sports.
Yormark will stay through Jan. 31. The announcement came about a year and a half after he signed a three-year contract extension that was to run through 2030.
“The next commissioner of this league will inherit a conference that is ’16 Strong,'” said Yormark, the fifth commissioner in the league’s 32-year history. “There has never been a better time to be a member of the Big 12 than right now.”
Yormark shepherded the moves of Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah to the Big 12 after the Pac-12 broke apart, and the two Arizona schools began Big 12 play in 2024. He also landed a six-year TV extension with ESPN and Fox valued at $2.28 billion.
Before the Big 12, Yormark was CEO of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and previously ran the Brooklyn Nets. He replaced Bob Bowlsby in 2022.
“Brett’s vision, business acumen, and confidence put us on the path we find ourselves on today,” said University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod, chairman of the Big 12 board.
Sources: Arizona Sports. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Unknown photographer / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
