Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark ‘Put Off’ By Rose Bowl
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark pulled no punches when it came to the Rose Bowl’s last-second agreement to help the College Football Playoff expand two seasons early.
The Rose Bowl agreed to amend its contract with the College Football Playoff last week, an agreement that allowed the playoff to expand from four teams to 12 teams two years sooner.
But it didn’t come without hand-wringing.
The Rose Bowl was the final sticking point for expanding the playoff two years early, according to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger.
All of the other major points had been decided upon, including schedule accommodations for a 12-team format, revenue-sharing models for the final two years of the current contract and other considerations.
In the weeks leading up to the agreement, the Rose Bowl has made demands on the future of its game in the new contract, which starts in 2026, in exchange for expansion of the playoff starting in 2024. Those accommodations started with keeping its Jan. 1 game window for future playoff games, including its specific game time of 5 p.m. eastern. The contract could not expand without the Rose Bowl’s agreement.
Yormark spoke reporters at the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday that he had no doubt an agreement would be reached.
But, on Wednesday, while speaking at an event, his tone regarding the Rose Bowl was a little less conciliatory.
The TCU Horned Frogs were selected as the No. 3 seed for the College Football Playoff and will face Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. TCU is just the second Big 12 team to make the playoff. Oklahoma made the league’s other four appearances. Quarterback Max Duggan is up for the Heisman Trophy this weekend in New York City.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
