When it comes to the Big 12 Conference these days, everything is for sale.
At Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas on July 9, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said the conference is "looking for as many revenue streams as possible," and that one of those streams could be placing patches on the uniforms worn by officials working Big 12 sporting events.
While that's not currently allowed under NCAA bylaws, Yormark said he's "optimistic this will happen soon," and believes there will be a push at the NCAA level to allow patches on officials' uniforms.
The Big 12 has been in the news over the last few months after reports that the conference was open to investments from private equity firms and that there were discussions about selling the name of the conference to a sponsor, which would, for example, created the "Allstate 12 Conference" instead of the Big 12 Conference.
"Given where we are, the industry, having a capital resource as a partner makes a ton of sense," Yormark told The Oklahoman. "That’s really how you conduct a business. ... At some point in time it’s going to come here into collegiate athletics. So we are exploring what that might look like"
The Big 12 has added eight new schools over the last two seasons, including four from the Pac-12 Conference in 2024 with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, while losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC.
The new Big 12 pic.twitter.com/ctqZl85QVJ
— Kellis Robinett (@KellisRobinett) July 9, 2024
