KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The expected expansion of the College Football Playoff and its effect on conference championship games is to be determined, but Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said he's ready to adjust.
Speaking at Big 12 basketball media days, Yormark addressed the future of the conference's football title game and basketball tournaments, what he called "tentpole events." The NCAA basketball tournament field will grow to 76 teams this season, the first major expansion since 1985.
"First of all, nothing's been done yet with the CFP. It's only speculation," Yormark said. "Nothing's final. So, I don't want to get too much into details there, but tentpole events for us matter. Our (football) championship has been very valuable. Our basketball
tournament, both men's and women's, has been very valuable.
"If there's a point in time where change is made, we will look to backstop those events with other events. We're in the event business. It drives a lot of fan engagement and excitement. We'll see what happens in the future, but those are big moments for us, and for some reason if that one goes away, we'll replace it with something different."
Yormark reiterates support for Protect College Sports Act
Yormark also spoke on the Protect College Sports Act, which he said supports his priorities to "put student athletes first, preserve fairness and create greater stability." He pointed to the Big 12's ban on professional athletes returning to college sports to "protect fairness, opportunity and integrity."
"I'm encouraged by the progress of the Protect College Sports Act," Yormark said. "This is the closest we've ever been to passing meaningful legislation, and I look forward to working with lawmakers as the process advances to the House. Like any startup, the College Sports Commission has continued to evolve and improve. Together, these efforts are helping move college athletics in the right direction."
Yormark pushed back on a question about athletes' lack of representation during PCSA discussions.
"I'm a huge advocate of the student-athlete voice," Yormark said. "I can tell you that I sit on four committees, the president's committee, Commission on College Athletics, and there has been great representation by student-athletes on all those committees. They've had a voice. We had a call most recently, two weeks ago, where, again, there were numerous student-athletes."
As the legislation continues to be debated, athletes around the country have spent the offseason trying to regain eligibility under the NCAA's "5 for 5" rule. Yormark said he supports Big 12 schools adding those players to rosters, despite its conflict with the intent of the PCSA.
"I will tell you that we as a conference support the NCAA's age-based eligibility model," Yormark said. "We voted in favor of it. That being said, I respect the decision-making of student-athletes, and I respect the decisions of local courts as well. But there is a balancing act there, for sure."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Big 12 commissioner talks future of CFP, Protect College Sports Act
