Brett Yormark Stepping Down As Big 12 Commissioner After 4 Years

Brett Yormark is stepping down as commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.

On Friday, the Big 12 announced Yormark would leave his post effective Jan. 31, 2027. Yormark, who took over as commissioner in 2022, is leaving the position of his own volition.

“When I accepted this job, my goal was to put this conference on an upward trajectory and truly believe that the future of the conference could not be in better shape,” Yormark said in a statement. “The next commissioner of this league will inherit a conference that is ‘16 Strong.’ There has never been a better time to be a member of the Big 12 than right now.”

The league did not elaborate on Yormark’s reason for stepping down now. But one source familiar with his decisions told Front Office Sports he had never intended to stay on with the conference long-term, and wanted instead to bring it to a stable, successful place and then move on. Yormark may also have a new job lined up, according to an ESPN report.

Yormark took over as commissioner shortly after a vicious round of conference realignment and amid a tumultuous time in college sports. During his tenure, Yormark has made himself known as an aggressive, tenacious leader—he came from outside college sports and wasn’t afraid to buck traditional trends. He secured the conference’s interim future by swiftly negotiating a television extension with ESPN and Fox, adding four new members to the league, signing the first conference-wide deal with a private equity firm, and navigating multiple inter-conference disputes, including the Brendan Sorsby scandal. 

He was also a key voice advocating for changes across college sports alongside fellow commissioners, shepherding in the House v. NCAA settlement, lobbying for federal legislation on college sports, and helping college football transition into an expanded Playoff era.

“When Brett arrived, we were at a crossroads in the Big 12 and as a college sports enterprise,” Kansas president and Big 12 board of directors chairman Douglas Girod said in a statement. “Brett’s vision, business acumen, and confidence put us on the path we find ourselves on today.”