Big 12 to Dish Out Record $426M to Members

The Big 12 Conference will distribute a record $426 million in revenue to its 10 schools for the 2021-22 academic year.

The record revenue follows the return of fans to stadiums amid the pandemic. 

• 2021-22 marked the first growth in revenue for the Big 12 in two years.
• It is nearly a 20% increase in revenue compared to the year prior. 

The good fortune comes on the heels of imminent changes within the Big 12. The conference is losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2025 but is preparing to add four new members. 

In September 2021, the Big 12’s continuing members voted unanimously to invite four schools to join the conference: Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, and BYU. 

Three of the Big 12’s newest programs — Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF — are working on a settlement to leave the AAC on July 1, 2023, which would be a year ahead of schedule. The group was initially scheduled to join the Big 12 on July 1, 2024, due to AAC bylaws that require schools to provide a 27-month notice and a $10 million fee to join another conference. 

The settlement could range between $17 million and $20 million, per the Action Network.

New Leadership 

In April, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced he would step down from his position later this year after accepting the role in 2012.

The Big 12 hopes to have a new commissioner by mid-July, when the conference hosts its media days for the upcoming football season.