Brett Yormark praises Big 12 as 'deepest' college football conference - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Brett Yormark kicked off the Big 12's first media day as a 16-team league with an optimistic outlook for what he called «the deepest conference in America.»

Yormark said Tuesday that the additions of Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado are a boost, despite the loss of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC and gives the Big 12 stability in an era of constant change.

«We solidified ourselves as one of the top three conferences in America,» he said. «There has never been a better time than right now to be part of the Big 12. We are truly a national conference in 10 states, four time zones and all eyes are now on the Big 12 for all the right reasons. I think it's safe to say we are more relevant now than ever before.»

Yormark touted the strength of the league as a whole, pointing out that the Big 12 had a record-tying nine teams in bowl games, with the second-best win percentage in college football, but also had an NCAA tournament-record eight men's basketball bids and seven in women's basketball, and added even more powerful basketball programs.

The NCAA antitrust settlement awarding more than $2.7 billion of back damages, along with a new revenue-sharing model, provides an opportunity for the Big 12 to be aggressive and innovative in finding new sources of revenue, Yormark said. He characterized his league as a «mature startup» who can take more risks than some of the more traditional conferences.

The Big 12 has reportedly explored selling naming rights to the league and has explored private equity investment opportunities, which Yormark confirmed, reaffirming a statement from two years ago when he said the league was interested in expanding and was «open for business.»

«As we enter this new chapter, I can assure