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Message: [QUOTE="jostar1, post: 5261622, member: 1737"] [B]On media: Brett Yormark, Big 12 basketball and a strategic play for the streaming age[/B] Jon Wilner PUBLISHED: April 16, 2025 at 12:12 PM PDT But when the topic turned to the value of college basketball, Yormark went where no power conference commissioner has gone before — to a strategic space he alone has inhabited since taking charge of the Big 12 in the summer of 2022. “I understand what football means in the landscape of collegiate athletics, and it’s at the center, for sure,” Yormark told CBS. “But basketball matters. I said it when I got here, and I’ll continue to double down.” Basketball is top-of-mind for Yormark on a daily basis. It played an important role in his expansion push in 2023, particularly with Arizona’s rich tradition. It spurred him to consider Connecticut and Gonzaga, as well. And it will play a critical role when the Big 12 heads to market in five years to negotiate a new media rights contract. “Basketball’s undervalued in this ecosystem,” Yormark, a former executive with the New Jersey Nets, explained to CBS. “And right now, it’s providing an incredible lift for our profile and narrative, and it will continue to do so in the future.” [URL unfurl="true"]https://archive.ph/EBs48#selection-867.0-883.244[/URL] [/QUOTE]