Big 12 members discuss expansion, rebranding
Even as the Big 12 welcomes four new member institutions on July 1, conference leaders keep a watchful eye on the horizon, particularly with a changing college landscape.
University presidents and chancellors, along with athletic directors, met this week in West Virginia for the league’s annual business meetings and among the topics discussed at great lengths was expansion.
“We had a great discussion about expansion,” said first-year commissioner Brett Yormark. “We have a plan and as I’ve said all along, we have an appetite to be a national conference in our makeup from coast to coast.
“That being said, we love our current composition and the four new schools coming in next month. However, if the opportunity presents itself to create value, we will pursue it.”
Yormark has made it clear that the Big 12 would be interested in adding more institutions to its membership, especially with the impending departures of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2024.
With the Pac-12’s future on shaky ground as it negotiates a new media rights deal, some believe that schools like Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado are rumored to be considering a move to the Big 12.
Additionally, there are reports that the league is interested in adding basketball powerhouses Gonzaga and UConn to improve its standings.
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“We’re going to consider all options,” Yormark said. “We have some guiding principles when we think about expansion, and it’s all strategic here.”
According to Yormark, the key factors to consider when expanding are academic alignment, leadership, cultural fit, geography, and athletic performance. These guiding principles were discussed as a group during the week.
UCF athletics director Terry Mohajir has been a part of more than a handful of conference realignments and understands the philosophy behind such a move.
“Anything that can make your conference stronger, you have to look at,” Mohajir recently told the Sentinel. “What can another university’s athletics program bring to the table? How can they help create more IP? How can they generate more revenue for each institution?
“Those are what Brett and his team are looking at and vetting. Anything’s on the table. You have to look at having conversations with your broadcast partners, which are also key factors in these decisions.”
While expansion remains one of the top topics on everyone’s mind, it wasn’t the only thing discussed during this week’s meetings.
Yormark announced the league would distribute an estimated $440 million in revenue for the 2022-23 season, with its current 10-member institutions receiving an average payout of $44 million.
“We’re very proud of and that will continue to grow in the future,” he said.
In November, the Big 12 agreed to a 6-year, $2.28 billion media rights contract extension with Fox and ESPN. According to reports, the deal’s overall value is expected to increase from $220 million annually to $380 million.
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The four new schools won’t receive full revenue shares until 2026.
With the Big 12 undergoing a major facelift over the next 12 months with the additions of BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, along with the departures of Texas and Oklahoma, Yormark indicated the league would go through a “brand fresh” next year.
“A refresh is just taking the current visual identity and just contemporizing it and modernizing it,” Yormark explained. “We’re not changing our logo at this point, but how do we showcase it, maybe with different colors and different applications?
“It is a refresh. It’s not a logo change and certainly not a name change.”
Yormark said he’s been pleased with what he’s seen with the transition of the four new schools as they prepare to enter the league.
“They’ve had two years and a two-year runway effectively to get ready,” he said. “They have built infrastructure and invested in resources, and I’m pleased where they are. They’re ready to be part of the Big 12.
“I’m just looking forward to having them join us and being a part of this new Big 12.”
Added Mohajir: “We’re excited and we’re prepared. I’ve been through conference realignment six times. There’s a challenge, but it’s a good and positive challenge. We’re not complaining by any means, and we’re excited.”