College Football Playoff expansion discussions are heating up, and if the field jumps to 24 teams, those legendary conference championship games? Poof, gone. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark isn’t about to let that leave a massive hole in his conference’s calendar, though. He’s already thinking about how to “replace” that championship game, and he’s got some big plans.
The Big 12’s Tentpole Moment on the Line
Yormark broke down his thoughts with CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish at Big 12 basketball media days, stressing just how crucial that championship game is. He called it a “huge tentpole moment” for the conference, and honestly, he’s not wrong. We saw 86,000 screaming fans pack AT&T Stadium for last year’s Big 12 title game, and the fan engagement was absolutely off the charts. Remember that Texas Tech vs. BYU matchup? It pulled in an average of 8.99 million viewers, putting it third among Power Five championship games, right behind the Big Ten and SEC. That’s real, tangible engagement, and you can’t just let that vanish without a fight. The revenue from these games is a key factor too, especially when ESPN is reportedly ready to shell out an extra $345 million a year just for exclusive CFP rights. So, yeah, losing that spotlight and that cash? Not an option for Yormark.
A New Era of Innovation for the Big 12
So, what’s the plan to fill that void if the CFP expands and the championship game gets tossed? Yormark is ideating, and he’s not just talking pie-in-the-sky. He’d prefer to replace it with some kind of “conference football moment,” which, let’s be real, is what we all want to see. But he also floated the idea of a basketball event for that first Saturday in December if it opens up. Given his background with Roc Nation in the event space, you know this guy means business when he talks about creating new experiences. Yormark put it point blank, saying, “I’m in the IP business. I want to create events, I want to be able to monetize those events, I want those events to help grow our profile and narrative and I want to give great, special opportunities to student athletes.” That’s a commissioner who sees the bigger picture, not just the next game. He’s all about keeping the Big 12 innovative and giving fans and athletes something to look forward to.
It’s clear Yormark isn’t just going to let the Big 12 lose its key moments to CFP expansion. He’s committed to finding that next big thing to keep the conference profile high and the fans engaged. We’ll be watching to see what kind of event he cooks up to keep the Big 12 on the forefront of college sports.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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