Brett Yormark Outlines What Still Needs Fixing in the Big 12

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark joined the Triple Option podcast this week, hosted by Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram, and Rob Stone, to outline his top priorities as college athletics enters a new, unsettled era.

In the detailed conversation, Yormark highlighted three key battlegrounds: the House settlement, College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion, and long-term governance of collegiate sports.

“I take everything home with me,” Yormark said. “It’s a 24/7 job, and you can never turn it off. There are a lot of big national issues that we’re dealing with. And right now, I would say the big three are the (House) settlement, CFP (College Football Playoff), and future governance, meaning the role of the NCAA in this new age of collegiate athletics.”

Yormark acknowledged that while the June House settlement—slated to take effect July 1—addresses transformational areas like NIL, multiple gray zones remain.

“There’s a lot going on in our space right now, and I’m sure everyone knows, but it’s not just football and basketball,” Yormark continued. “I mean, we sponsor 25 sports here, 15 of which are women’s sports, and we think there’s a lot of growth there, so there’s a lot to manage and a lot to do.”

Yormark finished his thoughts by saying, “But I will tell you that coming from professional sports, there’s nothing like college athletics. It’s a purpose-driven industry, and at the core is our student athlete.”

Brett Yormark is steering the Big 12 through a seismic realignment in college sports. He seeks not only to implement major changes driven by court rulings and playoff momentum, but to shape them.

His push against entrenched interests, such as SEC bias and NCAA flaws, marks a clear declaration: the Big 12 intends to lead, not react.