Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark addresses naming rights, more – Deseret News

LAS VEGAS – Certainly flamboyant and bold Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark was going to double down on his idea that the 16-team Big 12 is one of the top conferences in America in his annual address at Football Media Day on Tuesday.

This event is in Las Vegas, after all.

“We’ve solidified ourselves as one of the top three conferences in America,” Yormark said at Allegiant Stadium. “Now we are more relevant than ever. … There has never been a better time than now to be a part of the Big 12.”

Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State will officially join the league next month, though all of the “Four-Corners schools” will be in Las Vegas over the next two days, along with the 12 schools that participated last year in Arlington, Texas. , which includes BYU.

Echoing and expressing thoughts that will surely play some role at SEC and Big Ten media conferences later this month, Yormark said he is as “optimistic” about the future of the Big 12 as he has ever been .

Despite the inclusion of the Four-Corners schools and the losses of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, “We will be the deepest football conference in America, and every week will matter,” Yormark said.

Although there were no big, groundbreaking announcements, Yormark told the more than 500 media members in attendance at the home of the Las Vegas Raiders that the Big 12 is on an upward trend and will continue to look for innovative and revolutionary ways to build its brand . ,

big 12 naming rights

One of those ways is to sell the league’s naming rights to a title sponsor, which ESPN reported on June 13 has been explored by Yormark and the conference.

“The commercial sponsor would potentially take the ‘Big’ name out of the Big 12 and replace it with the sponsor’s name. This could end up being one of the largest commercial deals in collegiate athletics history, not including media rights,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported.

In a gathering with reporters after the address, which was not televised, Yormark said that nothing was imminent regarding a naming rights deal, but acknowledged that he was interested in finding a deal.

“Do I believe in naming rights? I do. I was in NASCAR when we went from Winston Cup to Nextel. I was with the (Brooklyn) Nets when Continental Airlines Arena became the IZOD Center,” he said. “Naming rights are not foreign to me. If they have the right naming rights, if they’re the right partner then I see value in them. We’re going to figure it out, and we’ll see where we get.

When asked if “Big 12” would remain in the name, Yormark said they “haven’t gotten that far yet” but that the conference is “celebrating” the number 12 where it is possible.

“But the first order is can we find the right strategic and financial partner that will support this conference in all the right ways?” He said. “But nothing is imminent right now.”

In another possibility that may upset college football purists, Yormark said a possible revenue stream the league is considering is allowing referees to wear commercial patches, which the NBA is already doing.

“I haven’t thought about the student-athlete Patch dynamic yet,” he said. “I think given everything that’s going on, it’s something that’s on the table for the foreseeable future. But I believe in the officers’ patches. I think this is the right thing to do right now.”

More highlights from Brett Yormark’s comments

• Spreading out rivalry football games instead of being played on the same day in late November. For example, BYU vs. Utah is on November 9, while Baylor vs. Houston is on November 23 and Arizona vs. Arizona State is on November 30:

“Well, I think the rivalry is extremely important. … I mean Utah-BYU, Arizona-Arizona State, Kansas-Kansas State, Baylor-TCU, I mean, great rivalries.

Yormark said vice president of football Scott Draper and his scheduling committee came up with the plan as a way to attract interest throughout November.

“They were focusing on a rivalry that obviously means something, not only to the history of our conference, but to our fans. And I think we’ve reached a great place,” Yormark said.

• Can the Big 12 catch the SEC and Big Ten in terms of television revenue, overall financial dominance and nationwide perception as a power conference:

“I say this often: We’re one of the three best conferences in America, and we’re getting better. Think about where we were 24 months ago, and think about where we are today. I won’t stop until we become the No. 1 conference in America. That’s my ambition and I have nothing else to do with that. That’s the ambition of our ADs and presidents.

“Why would we do what we’re doing if we didn’t aspire to be No. 1? “We keep getting better and I like where we’re going.”

• Who are the SEC and Big Ten currently affiliated with in the Las Vegas Bowl and whether the Big 12 could get one of those spots, given that it now has Utah, BYU and other schools in the West:

“I am confident that at the right time we will achieve a formal affiliation with the Las Vegas Bowl. This market is very important for us. …I’m very comfortable and confident about what that outcome will bring to our conference. We need to be in Vegas for all the right reasons.

• At the Big 12’s Pro Day Combine in Texas in March and whether it continues:

“We had an amazing experience at the Big 12 Pro Day in (our) partnership with the NFL. This was something we were thinking about for a long time and it finally came to fruition. It was a great experience for the student-athletes, and we will do it again this year with the NFL.

• On whether more expansion might be in the Big 12’s plans, or if 16 is a good number to stop at:

“I am often asked about expansion and what’s next. I’m really focused on the current structure of our conference. We have expanded a lot. My wife said to me one day, when you took the job you had 10 schools. Right now you have 16. This is in a very short period of time, less than 24 months.

“So I haven’t really thought about what the right number is. I don’t know if it’s really about a number. I think it’s all about the right fit. It’s about the value that a potential school may or may not bring to the conference. But right now our focus is on 16. We’re focused on getting it right, and I’m really excited about our future as a 16-team league.