SCOTTDALE, Ariz. — Before the latest realignment of the Big 12 even kicks in and the 2024 season kicks off, the expanded College Football Playoff’s new revenue structure has created a perception that the league is no longer the equal of the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten.
Instead of a Power Five, college football now has a “Big Two,” with the expanded SEC — it will become a 16-team conference when Oklahoma and Texas officially leave the Big 12 to join this summer — and Big Ten, adding four teams from the Pac-12, at the top of the pack.
As commissioner of the Big 12, Brett Yormark’s job is to push back against the narrative that bigger bank accounts automatically means better football teams.
“As I’ve said before, I’m betting on the Big 12,” Yormark said Wednesday after wrapping up two days of meetings with the conference’s athletic directors and football and basketball coaches.
The Big 12 will become a 16-team conference this summer with the additions of former Pac-12 schools Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.