Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark 'doubling down' on 5-11 College Football Playoff format

FRISCO, Texas — Big 12 Media Days officially kicked off on Tuesday at Ford Center at The Star, the official practice venue of the Dallas Cowboys, and commissioner Brett Yormark started the two-day event with his state of the conference address.

The Big 12 is entering its 30th season as a conference, but this year marks the second season with the current 16-team league.

After holding a moment of silence for the Texans affected by the devastating flash floods this week, Yormark highlighted notable accomplishments from the league, including Arizona State’s Big 12 football championship and appearance in the College Football Playoff, Colorado’s Travis Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy, Texas Tech softball competing for a national championship and Arizona baseball going to the College World Series, among other successful moments for the Big 12.

Yormark announced ASU as the winner of the first-ever Commissioner’s Cup, “an award created to honor the Big 12 program that excelled both academically and athletically,” the Big 12 commissioner said.

Yormark also emphasized his support for the “5-11” model of the College Football Playoff, a proposed 16-team model that features five of the conference champions as guaranteed bids and 11 at-large bids rather than 16 of the highest-ranked teams, which could conceivably favor the SEC and Big Ten.

The Big 12 was the only Power 4 conference to not have multiple teams in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff last season. The 5-11 model could begin as early as 2026.

“We continue to believe the 5-11 model proposed by the Big 12 and the ACC is the right playoff format for college football,” Yormark said. “We want to earn it on the field. We do not need a professional model, because we are not the NFL. We are college football, and we must act like it.

“There is nothing in sports like college football and we must protect what makes it special and do what’s right for the fans and the game.”

Added Yormark: “I have a lot of faith in what they’re doing and 5-11 is fair. We want to earn it on the field. ... Long term, knowing the progress we’re making, the investments we’re making, it’s the right format for us. And I’m doubling down today on 5-11 and I know (ACC commissioner) Jim Phillips will. And I’m sure some of the other conference commissioners will, as well.”

Yormark also answered questions from Big 12 media on Tuesday. Here are the most pertinent items the conference commissioner discussed.

Since you became the Big 12 commissioner three years ago, how would you assess the league’s improvements and progress?

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A: “I’m thrilled with where the Big 12 is right now. You know, three years ago, I didn’t walk on the stage. I sat on the stage, which was a little uncomfortable for me, and I said I wanted to modernize this conference. I wanted to be more contemporary. I wanted to get on the consciousness of future student-athletes. I wanted to create a foundation that would enable us to succeed. I wanted to be a national conference, and I wanted to double down with ESPN and FOX.

“We’ve done all of that and more. I love the trajectory of this conference. I love where we’re going. Our schools are making incredible investments. In infrastructure, performance and student-athletes, it’s everything I could have wished for when I took this job three years ago. But I will tell you, we’re just getting started.

“The conference today is not the best version of itself, but we will be sooner than later. And as I said earlier, we have a unified board, an incredible group of (athletic directors). We share the vision for this conference and I’m excited about our future.”

With revenue sharing coming to college athletics and a majority of the money going towards football programs, how will other programs, like Olympic sports and women’s basketball, be impacted?

A: “I can’t speak for our schools because obviously they determine how they want to slice the pie, if you will. But I can tell you in conversations, women’s basketball matters, and it matters to our conference. We want more linear exposure for our games, which we’re working on.

“From a conference perspective, we’re looking to elevate and amplify women’s basketball in all the right ways. Candidly, last year I went to more women’s basketball (games) than I did men’s basketball. I’ve become a big fan. We’re going to work to double down, as I mentioned in my comments. I’m excited about where we’re going.”

How critical is it for the Big 12 to have one or multiple brands emerge annually as CFP contenders?

A: “Critical. ... I think parity matters and I think ultimately over time — and it’s hopefully sooner than later — there’ll be a couple of our schools that will emerge. Elite schools that are always part of the conversations at the highest levels, and that’s what we’re working towards. But it starts with parity and being competitive top to bottom.

“I think we’re there and I think we’re the best in the country when you think about how deep we are top to bottom. I do believe that long term you need certain schools to emerge to the top and I think we’re getting there.”

Did the Big 12 shy away from a preseason media poll to eliminate misperceptions of the teams contending for a College Football Playoff bid?

A: “I guess collectively that could be some rationale, but for me and for the conference, we don’t want to disadvantage any of our schools. Again, with roster management and the transfer portal, no one knows really what they have until they take the field. I think it was the right decision for us and I’m happy we made it.”