Big 12 Says Brett Yormark Will Leave in January 2027

The Big 12 announced Friday that commissioner Brett Yormark will leave his post effective January 31, 2027, and that its board will begin searching for a successor. Yormark will remain commissioner until then, ending a tenure that began in August 2022 and included major membership changes and a media-rights agreement. Yormark said his goal had been to put the conference on an upward trajectory and that his successor would inherit a 16-member league. He described the conference’s future as strong. Big 12 board chairman Douglas A. Girod, speaking for the conference’s presidents, thanked Yormark for guiding the league through a period of change and cited his vision and business acumen. The conference’s search is underway, but it has not named a successor. One report characterized the search as national and said a replacement announcement was likely by the end of 2026. The board’s announcement did not set a public deadline for selecting the next commissioner. Yormark took over from Bob Bowlsby in 2022. During his tenure, the Big 12 added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, then expanded to 16 members with Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah after the Pac-12’s decline. The...