Big 12 Shakeup: Brett Yormark Leaving, What It Means for Texas Tech

Texas Tech and the rest of the Big 12 Conference are preparing for another major leadership transition after commissioner Brett Yormark announced Friday that he will step down effective Jan. 31, 2027.

The announcement comes during an important period for the Red Raiders and a conference that has undergone sweeping changes in membership, television revenue and national positioning.

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Yormark, who became commissioner in Aug. 2022, will remain in his position through January while the Big 12 Board of Directors conducts a national search for his successor.

The move raises an important question for Texas Tech: Who will lead the conference through the next phase of college athletics?

When Yormark arrived, the Big 12 faced considerable uncertainty following the departures of Texas and Oklahoma for the Southeastern Conference.

His aggressive business strategy helped stabilize the league.

Under Yormark, the conference finalized a six-year, $2.28 billion television agreement with ESPN and FOX while completing an expansion that brought the league to 16 members.

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joined the Big 12 in 2024, strengthening the conference's geographic reach and athletic competition.

For Texas Tech, those moves preserved membership in a major conference with significant national television exposure.

Yormark also pushed the league toward new sponsorship opportunities, commercial partnerships and expanded revenue streams.

The next commissioner will inherit substantial challenges that directly affect Texas Tech's athletic future.

Perhaps the biggest is the conference's next media-rights negotiation.

The Big 12's current agreements provide financial stability, but the league must continue finding ways to compete economically with the SEC and Big Ten.

College Football Playoff access presents another major concern.

Texas Tech needs a conference capable of securing favorable postseason opportunities as the playoff format and revenue distribution models continue evolving.

Changes involving athlete compensation, revenue sharing and roster construction also make strong conference leadership increasingly important.

Yormark expressed confidence in the conference's future in Friday's announcement.

"The next commissioner of this league will inherit a conference that is '16 Strong,'" Yormark said.

Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod, chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors, credited Yormark with helping establish the conference's current stability.

For Texas Tech, the priority now becomes ensuring the next commissioner builds on that foundation.

The Red Raiders have invested heavily in competing nationally, and conference revenue, television exposure and playoff access remain essential components of that ambition.

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Yormark helped the Big 12 survive a period of extraordinary uncertainty.

His successor will be responsible for ensuring Texas Tech and its conference partners can continue competing at the highest level.