The Big 12 board of directors have extended commissioner Bob Bowlsby contract through June 2025, as was first reported by Fox/Sports Illustrated’s Bruce Feldman.
The date is important: June 30, 2025. That is the exact date that the Big 12’s grant of rights agreement expires.
Bowlsby has overseen the Big 12 through a tumultuous time (which I guess might be a bit of a redundant statement). The Big 12 hasn’t had a championship game in football since 2010 due to the departures of four teams (Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, Texas A&M) and the additions of two (TCU, West Virginia), but it will return for the 2017 season. This was a wise move by Bowlsby and the university presidents, as the conference seemed to get lost in the shuffle on Championship Saturday.
The 65-year-old Bowlsby is the fourth commissioner in Big 12 history, and he has served in the role since 2012. Bowlsby is in a tough spot, and despite some issues with him, I’d say he’s done a good job overall. He’s certainly been a hell of a lot better than his predecessor Dan Beebe. Ugh, I get a headache just thinking about him.
Financially, the conference continues to thrive as well as any conference in the country. The Big 12 generated record revenue of $34.8 million per school in 2016-17, before Tier 3 rights, which pushed several schools over $40 million, which is more than, or right on par with the SEC and the Big Ten conference.
