The Big 12 is one of two conferences left standing with the 2025 NCAA Men’s Tournament set to conclude with the National Championship game tonight on CBS.
At 7:50 p.m. CT. the Houston Cougars (35-4) and Florida Gators (35-4) will battle it out in the final game of March Madness, and one of the two conferences will carry bragging rights all the way up to tip-off for the 2025 season.
However, there’s a lot to happen between now and next season, especially with how fluid things have become in the last 3-4 years. Conference realignment never seems to be more than one question away, and on Monday, the Big 12 is facing it once again.
During an interview ahead of the big game in San Antonio, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark was asked directly about where his league stands when it comes to further expansion in the near future.
“From my perspective, I love the makeup and composition of this conference right now,” Yormark responded. “We’re 16 strong, we’re in 10 states, we’re in four different timezones. But, as the commissioner, it’s incumbent upon me to always have optionality and understand what the landscape might be moving forward.
“I whiteboard all the time. I think, knowing optionality and never being surprised and being proactive is certainly at the core and the DNA of this conference now. But, today, I’m very confident in where we are at 16 strong and we’ll see what the future holds.”
It’s the same sort of answer that we’ve seen over the last several months, but one that seems genuine in its approach. There are so many directions that things could go in the weeks and months ahead, and the Big 12 certainly won’t be left out in the dark when it comes to knowing what comes next.
However, it does sound like Yormark and the Big 12 are very happy with the current state of things, and that’s perfectly fine by most accounts.
