At Big 12 Media Days, Brett Yormark addressed the media with opening remarks about the things the conference has been able to accomplish in the first year under his leadership. The conference plastered a long laundry list of items on the massive screen at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The list covered everything from the Big 12 moving games to Mexico & New York, nailing down a TV contract with ESPN & FOX, and even a possible plan for conference expansion.
“We have a plan for expansion,” Yormark said via Sports Illustrated. “I’m not going to really address it today. Hopefully, we can execute it sooner than later. If we stay at 12, we’re perfectly fine with that. If within the value equation, there’s alignment, Power Five or non-Power Five, we’ll look to pursue it.”
“The non-believers became believers.”@Big12Conference Commissioner Brett Yormark said that signing a new TV deal was the most important thing he’s done so far, and that year two will be even better!@arisports | @archerqb16 | @GabeIkard | #Big12FB pic.twitter.com/tjzGxzrvmp
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) July 13, 2023
The remarks from Yormark during Wednesday’s media session of Big 12 Media Days had many questioning if the commissioner was attempting to draw a comparison between himself and Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff.
“That has been the overriding theme and feeling of these past few days,” Brock Huard said on ESPN 960, when asked about the comparisons being made. “We felt it months ago, when he started to expand and started to grow.. he started to do these things and talk the way he does because he got a deal done, unlike his counterpart out west, unfortunately, in Mr. Kliavkoff who has not gotten a deal done.”
The other question that still remains to be answered is whether or not we will receive details about the Pac-12’s search for a media deal during Pac-12 media day on Friday, July 21. Pac-12 Insider John Canzano shared some insight he received from a member of the Pac-12’s CEO group in a recent edition of his newsletter:
“How are they feeling about the media deal?
“Said one member of the Pac-12 CEO Group: ‘All good, but our timing is not being driven by media narratives or others’ deadlines.’
“The second part of that quote — ‘others’ deadlines’ — feels aimed the San Diego State conundrum. The Mountain West Conference presidents are meeting on Monday to discuss the Aztecs’ membership status.”
This report from Canzano seems to suggest that the Pac-12 feels no rush to report the details of their TV & media rights deal by Friday, should they have one in place. Yet, the report also seems to go against what everyone else around college football is thinking;
Why can’t the remaining members of the Pac-12 come up with answers?
Doesn’t the lack of details pertaining to a media deal hurt the conference’s image and perception?
Find all of the highlights from Big 12 media day, including sound from Yormark, Huard, and others, on the latest edition of Valley Sports talk below.
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