Brett Yormark: "We accelerated Texas and OU withdrawal, which was a win-win for all parties"
When Brett Yormark became Big 12 Conference commissioner in July of last year, figuring out a clean separation between the league, Texas, and Oklahoma was one of his top priorities.
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The original exit agreement reached by UT and OU set July 1, 2025 as the two institutions’ date of departure. However, it was in the best interest of all involved for the transition to take place prior to that point. Yormark admitted at his inaugural media days one year ago he was looking for a “win-win” scenario with regards to this conundrum.
That win-win was discovered in February. Texas and Oklahoma moved their exit timeline up to 2024 thanks to an agreement made with the Big 12 and its media partners. Yormark made sure to note the accomplishment on Wednesday at Big 12 Media Days.
“We accelerated Texas and OU withdrawal, which was a win-win for all parties,” Yormark said.
Yormark could have taken a chance while on the main stage at AT&T Stadium to minimize the importance of 2023 being the final year with UT and OU in the conference and instead focus on the four new arrivals of Houston, Cincinnati, BYU, and Central Florida.
The Big 12’s plan, according to Yormark, is not to ignore Texas and Oklahoma. Rather, the league will make note of what the two schools have contributed during their membership.
“This event kicks off our first ever season as a 14-team league,” he said. “We plan to use this season to celebrate the incredible strength we have going forward with our eight continuing members, our four incoming members, and to celebrate the impact that Texas and Oklahoma have had on this conference.”
On the football field, the two schools have won two national titles, five Heisman Trophies, and many other national accolades. They’ve combined to reach three men’s Final Fours and four women’s Final Fours. Both the Longhorns and the Sooners have made the final eight in Omaha and Oklahoma City for baseball and softball, winning national championships in both sports.
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Yormark isn’t going to ignore history, but rather celebrate it along with the new territory the league is entering with its new members. He didn’t go into detail about what those celebrations entailed. Instead, he spent more time talking about the future of the conference. He explained how the Big 12 was a viable business partner in modern college athletics, touched on the constantly shifting topic of realignment, brought up the new challenge of NIL, addressed the specter of gambling, and advertised international opportunities the league is trying to create.
He did remain cordial when speaking about the farewell season for two cornerstone brands who have been within the conference’s ranks since 1996. But he did not let an opportunity pass to boast about completing one of the major tasks he was hired to accomplish.
“I’ve got a great partnership with the folks at Texas and Oklahoma,” Yormark said. “When there’s mutual respect and when you’re looking for a win-win scenario, those negotiations don’t really take that long.
“We all wanted the same thing. We got there. I’m happy for them. I’m happy for us. We brought closure to an issue that was highly discussed this time last year. I’m happy we did. ”
