Brett Yormark is stepping down as commissioner of the Big 12, effective on Jan. 31, 2027, the conference announced on Friday.
Yormark, who became the league’s fifth commissioner in 2022, plans to take another job outside of college sports, per multiple reports. The conference plans to launch a national search for his replacement.
Yormark landed a $2.28 billion television deal with ESPN and Fox in 2022 and shepherded the 2024 additions of four former Pac-12 members: Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah. He also oversaw the previously negotiated expansion that brought BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF into the fold in 2023.
“When I accepted this job, my goal was to put this conference on an upward trajectory and I truly believe that the future of the conference could not be in better shape,” Yormark said in a statement. “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.”
Yormark, 60, was under contract through the 2029-30 academic year.
He succeeded Bob Bowlsby in 2022 and helped the Big 12 navigate a national realignment of the conference landscape.
“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 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.”
