Big 12 Commish: SCORE Act ‘Gaining Momentum’ After Talks

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Discusses Innovations and the Future of College Athletics

The college basketball season is reaching its fever pitch with conference championship week in full swing and March Madness looming. Amidst the excitement, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark joined The Pat McAfee Show to discuss a range of topics, from innovative court technology to the crucial legislative efforts shaping the future of collegiate sports.

LED Court Experiment: A Glimpse of the Future, With Caveats

The Big 12 recently made headlines for experimenting with an LED court during its tournament games. While the technology offered a futuristic aesthetic, it also sparked debate among players and fans. Yormark acknowledged the mixed reviews, explaining the decision to revert to a traditional wood court for the championship games.

“First of all, anytime you innovate, you know, there’s going to be risk and and you know that going in and I think it’s fair to say that you you never expect 100% buy in. Uh that being said, there were mixed reviews. Um some players liked it, some players didn’t. Uh there was discussion about making adjustments. There was discussion about potential slippage… And we decided last night um that it must it it that for us most importantly is that you’ve got four of the biggest brands in men’s college basketball competing tonight and the conversation should be about those teams and not the court.”

Yormark emphasized that the primary goal was to ensure the focus remained on the incredible talent and storied programs within the Big 12. While the LED court concept is being shelved for now, Yormark remains an advocate for innovation.

“Listen, I I’m still a lover of the LED court based on what it can do and and it was brought to life certainly um throughout the women’s and men’s. That being said, I I said to the owner last night and his staff, you got to go back to the lab, you know, you got to refine some some things and let’s keep… They got to go back to the lab and they got to figure and nothing’s perfect in life. They got to refine it and we’re going to stay in touch with them. But, um, you know, listen, I am an innovator and I I believe in trying to be different and leading to that point of differentiation and that’s what we did.”

Big 12 Dominance: A Conference of Champions

The Big 12 is widely regarded as one of the nation’s premier conferences, and Yormark proudly echoed that sentiment. He confidently declared the Big 12 as the “second best league behind the NBA” and highlighted the conference’s strength in both men’s and women’s basketball.

On the women’s side, Yormark celebrated West Virginia’s tournament championship win, their first in nine years. He specifically praised tournament MVP Jordan Harrison, a transfer student, as an example of the transfer portal’s positive impact when managed correctly. Yormark anticipates a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament, projecting eight to nine Big 12 teams to earn bids.

For the men, Yormark believes the Big 12 is exceptionally well-positioned for a national championship run. With multiple teams ranked in the top seven nationally and several programs considered national championship contenders, the conference is a powerhouse.

“We are the second best league behind the NBA. And I firmly believe it. Okay? Second best league. Here in Kansas City alone, we have three of the top seven teams in America… My expectation is a minimum of eight, but hopefully nine. And I do believe that we’re well positioned to win a national championship this year. We’ve got big brands. They’re performing at a high level.”

The SCORE Act: Gaining Crucial Momentum

Perhaps the most significant discussion revolved around the potential impact of the SCORE Act on collegiate athletics. Yormark participated in a recent roundtable discussion with esteemed industry leaders, elected officials, and thought leaders to address the pressing issues facing college sports.

Yormark expressed optimism about the progress of the SCORE Act, a piece of legislation aimed at providing much-needed structure and protection within college athletics. He believes the recent meeting has significantly boosted its momentum.

“I think it’s critically important that we get the score act done through the house and then move it to the senate and I think there’s momentum for the score act more so now than ever before and I expect something to happen in the next couple of weeks.”

Key provisions of the SCORE Act that Yormark highlighted include:

• Federal preemption and limited liability protection to enforce rules.
• A declaration that student-athletes are not employees, a sentiment echoed by athletes themselves who prioritize their academic and collegiate experience.
• Student-athlete protections, particularly against unscrupulous agents who may push athletes into the transfer portal or demand excessive commissions.

Yormark shared his personal concerns about certain agents preying on student-athletes and their families, leading to detrimental decisions like unnecessary transfers, which can result in lost credits and academic setbacks. He stressed the importance of safeguarding the student-athlete experience and ensuring they have the opportunity to achieve their full potential, both on and off the field.

“And a big part of that is getting a degree. And we are compromising that. And it’s been d it’s being driven in part, not entirely, but in part by some of these agents.”

The commissioner believes the SCORE Act offers essential guardrails, ensuring the continued growth of college sports while also protecting non-revenue generating sports. The bipartisan support for the act suggests a strong possibility of its passage.

“Well, listen, I I’ve often said progress over perfection. The score act is progress. It’s not perfect. Okay? And there’s a lot of other things we need to be working on. And I’m spending an enormous amount of time with my commissioner colleagues and Charlie Baker and um the CEO of the CSC um Brian Cely on making sure that to your point earlier we have rules, we can enforce those rules and there are guard rails in all the right places. Um but the score act is the first step forward and we need it and it’ll it’ll give us some momentum.”

Yormark concluded by expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to represent the Big 12 and contribute to the positive change within collegiate athletics.

Source: Big 12 commish says The Score Act is 'gaining momentum' after round table 👏 | The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube)