"No challenges, whatsoever": Brett Yormark not worried about the future of Big 12 amid Texas and Oklahoma's exit

One of the challenges Brett Yormark had to deal with after taking over as commissioner of the Big 12 was the exit of Texas and Oklahoma. The departure of the two prominent universities placed the conference in the midst of existential threats before the arrival of Yormark.

However, Brett Yormark has done well to help the conference navigate the threats by securing a new media deal. With the Longhorns and the Sooners going through their last days in the conference, Yormark believes there's no cause for alarm as they transition to the SEC.

“No challenges, whatsoever,” Yormark said “I mean, Texas and Oklahoma, great contributors to the conference and have been since day one. They're finishing strong, obviously.”

“And when the time comes, we'll wish them well and we wish them good luck in the SEC. But as I've stated before, there's never been a better time to be part of this conference than right now.”

Brett Yormark believes the Big 12’s future is bright

Texas and Oklahoma have been the two most successful universities in the Big 12 over the years. The two schools have contributed significantly to the sporting and financial success of the conference and their exit is expected to have a lot of impact in the coming years.

However, Brett Yormark believes the conference has a bright future in the world of collegiate athletics. This is considering how much stronger they've become in multiple sports with the addition of four Pac-12 schools.

“Our future is extremely bright,” Yormark said. “We've gotten stronger in football. We've gotten stronger in basketball. We've gotten stronger in Olympic sports.”

“It's (the 2023-24 year) been seamless as we've begun to integrate the Four Corners (the four new schools), and in many respects, celebrate the contributions of both Texas and Oklahoma and what they’ve meant in this conference for so long.”

Brett Yormark loves the new makeup of the Big 12

While Texas and Oklahoma will be departing the Big 12 ahead of the next academic year, the conference will be adding Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. Brett Yormark is in love with the new composition.

“Right now, I love the makeup and composition of this conference,” Yormark said. “The Four Corners schools was the best-case scenario for us.”

“So we've done a lot of work to integrate those four and transition them in the right way. Who knows what the future will hold? But I really love the makeup of our conference right now.”

Notably, eight of the 18 members in the Big 12 next season will be less than two years old in the conference. The quartet of Cincinnati, BYU, Houston and UCF just had their first year in the league. It is to be seen how the conference seamlessly integrates the newcomers.