Yormark will leave the post effective Jan. 31, 2027, with reports saying he is headed for a job outside college sports.
Brett Yormark is stepping down as commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, the league announced Friday, with his departure effective Jan. 31, 2027. Yormark took over the role in 2022 and is leaving of his own volition, according to the conference.
The Big 12 did not elaborate on the specific reason for the timing of his exit. A source familiar with his thinking told Front Office Sports that Yormark had never intended to stay on with the conference indefinitely.
In a statement, Yormark pointed to the state he is leaving the league in. "When I accepted this job, my goal was to put this conference on an upward trajectory and truly believe that the future of the conference could not be in better shape," he said. "The next commissioner of this league will inherit a conference that is '16 Strong.' There has never been a better time to be a member of the Big 12 than right now."
Reports indicate Yormark is expected to take a new job outside college sports, though no further details on that move have been confirmed. During his tenure, Yormark made expanding the conference's footprint a central priority. The Big 12 has not named a successor.