Five things to know about Brett Yormark, who succeeds Bob Bowlsby as Big 12 commissioner

Dean Ruhl, Oklahoman
·4 min read
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Former Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark will be the new commissioner of the Big 12, the conference announced Wednesday morning.

Yormark replaces Bob Bowlsby, who served as the conference's commissioner for a decade before announcing in April his intentions to step down from the role.

Here are five things to know about Yormark, who will begin his new position in August.

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1. Brett Yormark's sports background built in NBA

After graduating from Indiana in 1988 with a degree in business, Yormark started with the then New Jersey Nets working in the ticket office. He bounced around the country in the ensuing years, spending time selling TV-rights to Minnesota sports teams and selling sponsorships to the Detroit Pistons.

He had a brief stint with NASCAR, serving as the vice president of corporate sponsorships for the company. He helped open a New York office for the company in the early 2000s and grow the sport nationally.

Yormark returned to basketball in 2005, being named the CEO of the Nets.

He was instrumental in the team's move from New Jersey to Brooklyn and oversaw the construction of the Barclays Center. Yormark served as the CEO for 14 years, leaving the team in 2019.

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Brett Yormark, an executive with Jay-Z's Roc Nation and former CEO of the Brooklyn Nets, was named Big 12 commissioner Wednesday.
Brett Yormark, an executive with Jay-Z's Roc Nation and former CEO of the Brooklyn Nets, was named Big 12 commissioner Wednesday.

2. Revitalized Brooklyn's sports scene

With the Barclays Center, Yormark secured agreements to host numerous men's college basketball tournaments, including the NCAA, ACC and A10 tournaments.

He also helped return boxing to Brooklyn for the first time since 1931 with the arena hosting multiple world championships. Yormark assisted the NHL's New York Islanders in relocating home games from the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, a move that was short-lived.

The Barclays Center is consistently in the top 10 of ticket sales for all entertainment venues worldwide.

Despite the diverse sports background, Yormark has no experience at the college level.

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3. Entwined in entertainment industry

After leaving the Nets, Yormark served as the chief operating officer of Roc Nation, an entertainment agency founded by rapper businessman Jay-Z in 2008.

Yormark also was the co-CEO of the agency's commercial branch, Roc Nation Unified. He joined his identical twin brother, Michael, with the company.

"I look forward to leveraging my experience and network alongside our presidents, chancellors and athletic directors to shape the future of the Big 12 brand," said Yormark in a statement.

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4. An innovative mind

While working with NASCAR, Yormark was named to Crain's "40 Under 40" list, an accomplishment he'd achieve again years later. Yormark also earned recognition from the Sports Business Journal, who named him to their "Forty Under 40" list three times, an award he shares with his brother.

He was instrumental in securing TV rights contracts with networks while at NASCAR and the Nets. NASCAR closed a $2.4 billion deal with Fox/NBC to televise its races with Yormark's help.

The Big 12's current media rights expire with FOX and ESPN in 2025, with negotiations for a renewal expected to begin in 2023.

"Brett is a talented and innovative executive who brings a remarkably unique perspective to the position," said Eric Shanks, the CEO and executive producer of Fox Sports in a statement.

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5. Talent for stabilizing things

Yormark inherited one of the worst-run NBA franchises in 2005.

In just his first year with the Nets, he boosted ticket sales by 20% and sponsorship sales by 100%. His aggressive marketing strategy in New York helped with complicated but successful efforts to move the franchise.

He helped build NASCAR from a regional sport to the second-best sports ratings behind the NFL during his tenure.

With Oklahoma and Texas departing to the SEC in 2025, and the Big 12 adding UCF, Houston, BYU and Cincinnati, Yormark has a similar task with the conference in the coming years.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Brett Yormark: Five things to know about next Big 12 commissioner