Roc Nation’s Yormark hired as Big 12 leader
DALLAS — Brett Yormark, an executive with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and former CEO of the Brooklyn Nets, was named Big 12 Conference commissioner Wednesday, another unconventional hire by a major conference amid the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics.
Yormark is taking over for Bob Bowlsby, who came to the league a decade ago after stints as athletic director at Stanford, Iowa and Northern Iowa.
The background for Yormark isn’t in college athletics, but could play an interesting role for a conference bracing for challenges in revenue with the impending departuresof Oklahoma and Texas while adjusting to athletes cashing in on use of their celebrity.
Yormark is expected to start Aug. 1, but likely will make his first public appearance at Big 12 football media days July 13-14 near Dallas.
“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,” Yormark said. “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 biggest issue looming for Yormark is a new media rights deal without the powerful brands of the Sooners and Longhorns in the mix. The multibillion-dollar TV deal with ESPN and Fox Sports expires after the 202425 academic year, when Oklahoma and Texas join the Southeastern Conference if they haven’t already moved before then. Within weeks of Oklahoma and Texas accepting invitations from the SEC, the Big 12 expanded by adding BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston.