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Brett Yormark (born September 28, 1966) is the fifth and current commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, a position he has held since August 1, 2022. Yormark has a diverse professional background in sports and entertainment, having held top positions at Katz Sports, NASCAR, Palace Sports & Entertainment, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE Global), and NBA. He was formerly the chief executive officer of Roc Nation. Prior to that, he served as chief executive officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE Global), where he oversaw the business operations of the Brooklyn Nets organization, the Barclays Center, the New York Islanders, New York Liberty, Nassau Coliseum, and the Nets' minor team Long Island Nets.[1]
Brett Yormark | |
|---|---|
.png) Yormark in 2022 | |
| Born | Brett Yormark September 28, 1966 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Indiana University Bloomington |
| Occupation | Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference |
| Predecessor | Bob Bowlsby |
Career
editYormark started his professional career working in various positions in sports and entertainment. In the early 1990s, he began selling TV time to Upper Midwest sports teams at Katz Sports in New York, where he acquired and managed the broadcast sales rights for several NBA, MLB and NHL teams, including the Brewers, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Minnesota Twins.
Yormark then moved on to sell sponsorships for the Detroit Pistons and with Palace Sports and Entertainment as a senior account executive. In 1998, he was hired by NASCAR as a director of corporate marketing and helped open an office in New York to expand the sport nationally. With NASCAR, he moved on to become vice president of corporate marketing and helped successfully negotiate a 10-year, $750 million sponsorship deal with Nextel Communications, which at the time was the largest NASCAR contract.[2]
In 2005, then Nets owner Bruce Ratner hired Yormark as CEO to help transform the Nets into a world-class organization and a more popular, modern, and contemporary brand. Yormark helped manage the franchise's transition from New Jersey to Brooklyn, and led the marketing and operations functions of Barclays Center, which opened in 2012. He spent 14 years with the Nets organization as CEO of Brooklyn Sports Entertainment. He negotiated several marquee deals for the Barclays Center, including with the New York Islanders, UFC, NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, SNY, ACC men's basketball tournament, and the Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament. Under Yormark’s leadership, the Barclays Center placed annually in the top ten of all entertainment venues world-wide for ticket sales.[3]
In 2019, Yormark left the Brooklyn organization amid the ownership change.[4] He was soon hired by a prior business acquaintance, Jay-Z, whom he knew from his time with the Nets, to become Roc Nation's CEO and President of Business Operations and Strategy.[5] At Roc Nation, he helped negotiate a long-term partnership with the NFL to serve as the league's official live music entertainment for events such as the Super Bowl.[6]
On August 1, 2022, Yormark left Roc Nation to become the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.[7] On October 30, 2022, three months after his hiring, Yormark came to terms on a new media rights agreement for the Big 12 Conference with partners ESPN and Fox Sports. The six-year agreement, which is worth a total of $2.3 billion, begins in the 2025-26 season and runs through 2030-31.[8]
Personal life
editYormark grew up in Springfield and Morristown, New Jersey.[9] He graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 1988 with a degree in business. He has two children and is married to Elaina Scotto.[10] His twin brother Michael Yormark is also a business and sports entertainment executive, who currently serves as president & CEO of Roc Nation Sports, and who was formerly president & CEO of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment with the Florida Panthers organization.[11]
Achievements
editNamed 40 under Forty, Crain's New York Business: 2000, 2006; 40 under 40, Sports Business Journal: 2006. Nominated Sports Executive of the Year by Sports Business Journal: 2024
References
edit- ^ "Brett Yormark Bio". big12sports.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Yormark Leaves NASCAR for NBA". Chief Marketer.com. January 26, 2005. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Brett Yormark". Global service Institute. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark to step down amid ownership change – reports". Skysports.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Aswad, Jim (April 5, 2022). "Roc Nation Hires Brett and Michael Yormark as Co-CEOs of New Agency". Variety.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Roc Nation Enters into Long-Term Partnership with NFL as League's Official Live Music Entertainment Strategists". nflcomminications.com. 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ "Brett Yormark Bio".
- ^ "Big 12 finalizing six-year, $2.3 billion extension of media rights deal with ESPN and Fox Sports". cbssports.com. October 30, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
- ^ Rothman, Evan (February 5, 2008). "The Optimist". New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
- ^ "Brett Yormark". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Michael Yormark". Sloansportsconference.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.