Big 12 officially announces Brett Yormark as new commissioner, replacing Bob Bowlsby

The Big 12 has made it official. Brett Yormark is the league’s new commissioner, according to a release published Wednesday morning by the conference.

Yormark will replace Bob Bowlsby, who announced his intention to retire earlier this year. He spent the last three years as the COO of Roc Nation, an entertainment company founded by Jay-Z. Before that, Yormark spent 14 years with the Brooklyn Nets and played a significant role in moving the team from New Jersey.

“Thank you to the Big 12 Board, the ADs, the student-athletes, the whole Conference for giving me a chance to support what they all do,” said Yormark in a statement. “I’m here to listen, learn, find ways to add value, add resources and try to help shine a light on the importance of college athletics. I look forward to leveraging my experience and network alongside our presidents, chancellors and athletic directors to shape the future of the Big 12 brand and emphasize our collective strengths.”

The Big 12 is the latest Power 5 conference to hire a commissioner from outside college sports. Last year, the Pac-12 moved to hire George Kliavkoff after he served as the president of MGM Resorts International.

Bowlsby became Big 12 commissioner in 2012 and spent 10 years in the role. When he announced his retirement, he said he’d stay in his role until the league found his replacement. Now that Yormark is officially coming in, Bowlsby’s tenure is entering the home stretch.

More on the Big 12’s decision to hire Brett Yormark

Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger first reported the Big 12’s decision to hire Yormark and called the hire “unconventional.”

“Yormark is thought of as one of the more connected and bright executives within the entertainment agency industry,” Dellenger said. “He was promoted in January to COO and president of business operations and strategy. Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation, has referred to Yormark as ‘a fearless leader.'”

The biggest challenge for Yormark, and possibly one that defines his tenure as the Big 12’s commissioner, is dealing with the upcoming realignment. Texas and Oklahoma will be on their way out to join the SEC no later than 2025. Four schools — BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF — will be entering via the American Athletic Conference.

Television rights will also be up after the 2024-2025 season, and the Big 12 is one of the last Power Five conferences to be getting a new deal.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.