When P. T. Barnum (excuse me, Brett Yormark) comes to college sports

Welcome to SEC Unfiltered, the USA TODAY NETWORK’s newsletter on SEC sports. Look for this newsletter in your inbox Monday through Friday. Today, SEC columnist Blake Toppmeyer takes over:

P.T. Barnum got a new idea. This one pertains to college sports. How fitting, considering college athletics is a bit of a circus.

Excuse me, it’s not Barnum who thought up this bright new idea on how to generate more cash from suckers. It’s Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark.

I sometimes get the two confused.

Yormark’s Big 12 is considering selling off naming rights to the conference in a move that would generate tens of millions in annual revenue, according to multiple reports.

Action Network’s Brett McMurphy reported that the Allstate 12 Conference is a leading contender for the conference’s new name, if a deal is reached with the insurance giant.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark walks onstage for the trophy presentation after the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Texas Longhorns at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on March 12, 2024.

This is unsurprising. Yormark pushes the boundaries and makes deals other commissioners wouldn’t — or at least haven’t yet.

To wit, Yormark previously hatched “Big 12 Mexico,” with plans to play Big 12 games across the border in a number of sports, including men’s and women’s basketball and potentially football.

Already, schools are selling off stadium naming rights. Bowl games are sponsored. Corporate sponsor logos are coming to college football fields. Sponsored jersey patches might be next. Even some coaching positions generate revenue via endowments. You might know Troy Taylor as Stanford’s football coach, but technically, he’s the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football.

In college athletics, it’s anything to make a buck.

The SEC and Big Ten used new media rights…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/p-t-barnum-excuse-brett-101548818.html

Author : The Oklahoman

Publish date : 2024-06-16 10:15:48

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