Hindsight is always 20/20, but for Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, it’s also an opportunity to wave the conference flag a little harder. Speaking at the league's spring meetings, Yormark didn’t hold back regarding the 2025 College Football Playoff results. He directly advocated for the BYU Cougars, stating firmly, "I think BYU should have made the CFP last year. There was a lot of debate around it, but I feel very strongly based on their resume."
It’s a bold, aggressively supportive stance to take in May, but it hits a bit differently when you rewind the tape to December.
Back during the actual selection window, Yormark was noticeably less brash. Standing at the podium before the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington, Yormark did push back against the committee, noting that an 11-1 BYU squad was being "undervalued" compared to independent and multi-loss powerhouse programs. However, his tone was carefully measured. Rather than pounding the table with righteous indignation, Yormark diplomatically concluded that he was simply “confident that the CFP will get it right.”
Of course, the committee didn't get it "right" in the eyes of the Big 12. BYU fell to Texas Tech in the title game, finishing 11-2, and became the second team left out of the 12-team field despite finishing eighth nationally in strength of record.
Now, with the wound fully healed and spring meetings providing a safe harbor for offseason bravado, Yormark has found his teeth. Supported by a unanimous 16-coach vote pushing for a 24-team playoff expansion, the commissioner is safely using the Cougars' snub to control the narrative, loudly declaring the Big 12 the "deepest conference in America." It’s classic Yormark—masterful marketing, even if the public roar came a few months after the fight was already over.
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