Commissioner Brett Yormark kicks off football media days, says 'Big 12 remains open for business'

FRISCO, Texas — To call the last few years in college football tumultuous would be an understatement, and Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark aims to keep his conference ahead of the curve.

Yormark opened Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday with a statement doubling down on his push to make the conference a fixture of national interest. The opening day of the event coincides with the third anniversary of his appointment as commissioner of the Big 12 conference.

"I feel better about our position than ever before," Yormark said.

One of the points of frustration for the college football landscape in recent years is the format of the College Football Playoff, especially for teams that are members of conferences other than the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten. The expansion of the CFP to sixteen teams is inevitable at this point, and Yormark believes that the 5-11 format proposed by the Big 12 in partnership with the ACC is the best way forward.

"We do not need a professional model, because we are not the NFL," he said. "We are college football, and we must act like it."

Photo by Sienna Puckrin

Questions from the media followed up on this, where Yormark responded to what may have led to the CFP selection committee only including one representative from the Big 12. Of the CFP, he said, "They are doing a full audit of the selection process."

The 5-11 model for the CFP emphasizes "earn[ing] it on the field," according to Yormark. The 5-11 format would feature the five highest-ranked conference champions earning automatic bids with the rest of the 11 teams receiving at-large berths.

"It may not be the best solution today for the Big 12," he said. "But long term, knowing the progress we're making, the investments we're making, it's the right format for us."

On what will help the Big 12's CFP chances, Yormark said, "Over time, there will be a couple schools that will emerge [as consistent CFP contenders] in the next few years. But the first step is parity."

In a league with 16 teams, having parity is critical to the long-term health of the conference. Yormark believes the conference is on their way to achieving that.

"I believe we will be the deepest football conference in America," he said.

As part of the commissioner's opening comments, the 2025 Bob Bowlsby Award winners were named, including BYU track & field's Meghan Hunter.

Yormark also highlighted BYU's national championships in men's and women's cross country, along with the other championships secured by members of the conference.

Big 12 Media Days continues through Wednesday en route to the beginning of the 2025-26 college football season.

"I love the direction of this conference," Yormark said.