Brett Yormark ‘Certainly Wasn’t Happy’ with CFP Revenue Distribution
In March, college football’s greatest powers met to discuss and move forward with a new-look College Football Playoff contract. All nine FBS conference commissioners (and Notre Dame) agreed to the new contract, which came with a new revenue distribution plan for the conferences.
Both the SEC and the Big Ten will make north of $21 million annually, while the ACC is set to make just over $13 million, and the Big 12 will get right above $12 million every year.
Given that college athletics is naturally competitive, it’s not shocking to hear that Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark say that he wasn’t happy about getting just over half of what his competitors will receive from the CFP distributions.
According to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, Yormark recently discussed his frustrations with the current situation but also made sure to note just how important a “look-in” clause, which he pushed very hard for, could be for the Big 12 after a couple of years.
“Having that look-in made sense for a lot of different reasons,” Yormark said on Wednesday. “I certainly wasn’t happy with the distribution. I guess you could say in some respects I was satisfied. It was fine. But certainly not happy about it. And I don’t think our ADs or our coaches are either, but we’re going to continue to invest for the right reasons.
“We’re going to continue to build football. It’s at the core of what we do, and I’m excited about the future.”
He went on to say that the partnership between the Big Ten and SEC, which was formed back in February, has been “overstated,” and that the chemistry between the conferences has never been better.
“We spend a lot of time talking strategically about the direction of collegiate athletics and what’s in the best interest of everyone,” Yormark told ESPN. “Does the SEC and Big Ten break away from that from time to time and strategize together? I’m sure they do, but I will tell you the chemistry and culture amongst the four commissioners is extremely positive, and even though I’m relatively new in my job, I’d venture to say it’s the best it’s ever been.”
One of the biggest issues on the table for Yormark and the other commissioners at this time is what the CFP will look like beyond the 2025 season.
Expansion is likely, and while there’s momentum for a 14-team field, according to ESPN, the conference commissioners all agree that there will be at least 12 teams going forward.
“If we end up going to 14 and we can further enhance the championship experience for more teams and more student-athletes, that’s great,” Yormark said, “and I’m going to continue to bet on the Big 12 that we’re going to take some of those at-large spots. In theory, more is more. More is good, but the proof is in the details and I’m excited to see how this year plays out at 12.”
Yormark also pointed out that seeing the 12-team playoff in action will give everyone a chance to evaluate the new format’s pros and cons, and to him, that has value.
“It wouldn’t be a bad thing to just play it out this year, but I’m just one of many,” he said. “… We’ll collectively make that decision.”
While signing an agreement that wasn’t in the best interest of the Big 12 clearly wasn’t how Yormark would’ve envisioned it, it does sound as if the Big 12 commissioner is hopeful for the league’s future and its ability to make up some ground before the look-in in 2028.
