To kick off the Big 12 Media Days, second-year commissioner, Brett Yormark, took the stage to address the media. The commissioner took a more mild approach, as opposed to his guns a blazing approach the year prior. Nonetheless, Yormark gave his cryptic insights about the possibility of Big 12 expansion.

Last year, in his first Big 12 Media Days, Yormark came out with a bang, stating that the conference was “open for business.” From that, Yormark was notably able to ink a T.V. deal with ESPN and FOX through 2031, and added four new teams to conference: BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. 

On Wednesday, Yormark mentioned that his “open for business” comment was about more than expansion. 

The commissioner stated, “Open for business was that we were going to explore every and all possibility to grow revenue, to diversify our conference, and to do things that hadn’t been done before. We did a lot of that.”

Although Yormark expanded on his “open for business” comments, like the rest of the college world, everyone’s mind is on expansion possibilities. 

The commissioner gave very little specifics on the topic, but in terms of expansion, he explained, “We do have a plan, and hopefully we can execute that plan sooner than later.”

In terms who exactly the Big 12 would bring in, there has been plenty of speculation about programs like Colorado and UConn as potential targets, but Yormark is keeping his cards close to his chest. 

Not mentioning any program in specific, Yormark said, “If the opportunity presents itself where there’s something that creates value and aligns with our goals and objectives, starting with the board, then we’re certainly going to pursue it. 

Despite the buzz around expansion across the college football landscape, Yormark made it known that he is happy with the conference as it is currently constructed. The Big 12 is heading into its’ first season with 14 teams, as they welcome the four new schools, and say goodbye to Texas and Oklahoma before they head to the SEC in 2024.

Of course, in 2024 the conference will be back to 12 teams with the departure of the two powerhouse programs, but Yormark seems to be confident in the future of the conference without anymore new additions. 

The commissioner stated, “I love the composition of this conference right now. The excitement the four new members have brought to this conference has been incredible, and if we stay at 12, we’re perfectly fine with that.”

The future of the college football landscape is certainly up in the air at the moment, but Yormark and his member programs seem confident in his innovative leadership to lead them into the future. 

Photo credit: Cameron Robertson/FAAZ Sports