Brett Yormark opened Big 12 Media Days Wednesday afternoon with a bulleted list of everything the conference had accomplished in his first 11 months as commissioner. It served as a reminder that even thougn the conference's premier brands, Texas and Oklahoma, have an imminent departure date to the SEC, Yormark has positioned the Big 12 for long-term success.

The new six-year media rights extension with ESPN and Fox is the crowned-jewel achievement early in his tenure, but Yormark had more good news to share with media members. The Big 12 extended its agreement with AT&T Stadium to host the conference championship game through 2030. The former Roc Nation CEO also showed tangible steps he'd taken to make the Big 12 younger, hipper and cooler, as he'd promised. The Big 12 Championship will have major musical performer at halftime starting this season, and a new logo will be unveiled in 2024.

Yormark had little to no experience in college football when he was hired on August 1, 2022, but he's expanded the conference's brand while learning on the fly in a whirlwind first year.

"Our goal is to connect with Gen Z," Yormark said. "Our goal isn't just to get connected with the consciousness of current student-athletes, but future student-athletes."

And yet, all anyone wants to talk about is which teams are going to compete in that younger, hipper, cooler Big 12 going forward. College football is in an arms' race era, with the Big 10 scooping USC and UCLA from the Pac-12 and the SEC swipining Texas and Oklahoma. Those two conferences are hurtling towards Power 2 status, which leaves the Big 12 in a precarious in-between zone. 

Yormark wouldn't reveal his plan to compete with the SEC and Big 10, only assuring media members that he did indeed have an expansion strategy. The Big 12 will have a crowded 14-team field in 2023 and is set to return to 12 teams for the first time since 2010. But there's a lot of time between now and then to add programs.

"If we stay at 12, we're perfectly fine with that," Yormark said. "If something presents itself that provides value and aligns with our goals, starting with the board, we'll pursue it."

Yormark may lose Texas and Oklahoma at the conclusion of the year, but he's adament the Big 12 is happy with the programs who'll return in 2024. After all, TCU was in the national championship game last year. Reigning Big 12 Champion Kansas State is an ascending program under Chris Klieman.

Oklahoma and Texas have shared first and second in the conference's recruiting rankings since at least 2010, but Yormark isn't ready to admit they've carried this conference. 

Six different teams have won a Big 12 Championship since Texas did since 2009. Oklahoma has more Big 12 Championships (14), than the rest of the current teams have combined (11), but the Sooners have loosend their stranglehold in the previous two years. 

"I'm not sure they've carried recruiting," Yormark said. "They haven't been in the championship game for a couple years. All of our teams have done a great job."