The Big 12 “is open for business” and will leave no stone unturned. That is just one of the opening remarks from new Big 12 commissioner, Brett Yormark, regarding conference realignment.

While he did not comment any further on specifics, he did share that he has been active in realignment talks and they are looking to explore all options in regard to the future of the league.

Anything the league does must be “additive and not dilutive” to the value and brand of the conference.

They have received phone calls and interest from various institutions. However, he did add that there is nothing imminent in the works in reference to other additions outside of the four that were added a year ago.

Yormark's background with Roc Nation, NASCAR and the Brooklyn Nets have all been about building brands.

With NASCAR, he took a sport predominantly with a fan base in the south put it onto the national stage. He took the Nets from New Jersey to Brooklyn and re-marketed the team by moving them into the Barclays Center.

He is hoping to make the Big 12 brand larger and more national. Social media will play a big part in that. They'll create content for more storytelling. They want to nationalize what they are doing and be more aspirational.

The goal of the conference is to be “younger and hipper.”

The Big 12 will enter negotiations on a new television deal in the near future. The current contract expires after the 2024-2025 season.

It is on the forefront of his priorities and everything the league does between now and that moment will be with the media rights in mind. Increasing the value of the league and maximizing their revenue opportunities is priority number one.

Though the league could look different between now and when the negotiations start, he is bullish on the league as a whole and what the value will look like when the time comes.

He also has a working relationship with ESPN and FOX and is looking forward to the negotiation process to amplify the value equation.

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