Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Visits Oklahoma State

STILLWATER – Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has officially been on the job since Aug. 1, but he’s really been working on the future of the Big 12 since the end of June when the Pac-12 schools USC and UCLA announced they were going to the Big Ten Conference in 2024. That was the signal of the summer that conference realignment was back in session. This time just ahead of the multi-media negotiations for multi-media rights for the Big Ten, Pac-12, and Big 12 conferences. The Big Ten recently announced a new $7 billion contract with FOX, CBS, and NBC. There is lots of work to do and our sources have told us that jumping in front of the Pac-12, Yormark and the Big 12 have been in deep discussions with multiple networks including FOX and ESPN/ABC. In between his work, Yormark has been touring the campuses that make up the conference he now works for. On Tuesday (Aug. 23) he was in Stillwater. 

Yormark flew into Stillwater Municipal Airport at 8:30 a.m. and quickly arrived on the Oklahoma State campus. He spent the morning meeting with athletics director Chad Weiberg and his staff including deputy athletics director Reid Sigmon. Also on the trip with Yormark was deputy Big 12 commissioner Tim Weiser. 

You might think that picture on Twitter was super imposed but it wasn’t. Yormark got his cahnce to take off his suitcoat and someone should have had him some chaps and a duster ready, even some Cowboy boots as he climbed into the saddle. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Yormark sits in his new locker.

Yormark and Weiser also were given a campus tour and a tour of Oklahoma State athletics facilites. That included visiting head coach Mike Gundy in the West End Zone and seeing the football facilities such as the weight room, meeting rooms, offices, weight room, the new turf on Boone Pickens Stadium, and Yormark found he has his own locker in the Oklahoma State newly remodeled football locker room. 

While in the West End Zone Yormark ran into some of the Oklahoma State players including slot receiver Brennan Presley, receiver Braydon Johnson, and freshman Talyn Shettron.

Yormark continued with meetings throughout the morning before heading to Karsten Creek for a lunch with athletic department staff and many of the head coaches in the Oklahoma State athletic department. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Yormark greeting Oklahoma State football players.

At 3 p.m. he met with Oklahoma State University President Dr. Kasey Shrum where they discussed current conference business and future developments in the Big 12 Conference. Dr. Shrum has already become a key figure with Yormark within the future Big 12. 

Yormark flew back to Dallas after the meeting with Dr. Shrum. 

“He sure said he was impressed with our facilities and our entire staff,” Oklahoma State Director of Athletics Chad Weiberg told me late Tuesday afternoon. He said he liked our people and that we had an impressive program. It was his first time in Stillwater, Okla.

Our sources tell us that Yormark has two of the current Big 12 schools left to visit outside of Oklahoma and Texas, which he does not plan to visit. Schools we know he has been to include TCU, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and now Oklahoma State. Simple deduction means he has Baylor and West Virginia left on his itinerary. Baylor is on tap for Wednesday. We are hoping to speak with Yormark on the radio show on Triple Play Sports Radio either Thursday or Friday.