Brett Yormark

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Brett Yormark
Brett Yormark (cropped).png
Yormark in 2022
Born
Brett Yormark

(1966-09-28) September 28, 1966 (age 59)
Springfield Township, New Jersey, U.S.
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma mater Indiana University Bloomington
OccupationCommissioner of the Big 12 Conference
Predecessor Bob Bowlsby

Brett Yormark (born September 28, 1966) is the fifth and current [1] commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, a position he has held since August 1, 2022. He has held top positions at Katz Sports, NASCAR, Palace Sports & Entertainment, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, and the National Basketball Association. He served as the chief executive officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, where he oversaw the business operations of the Brooklyn Nets organization, Barclays Center, the New York Islanders, New York Liberty, Nassau Coliseum, and the Nets' minor team Long Island Nets. [2] He then became the chief executive officer of Roc Nation.

Contents

Career

Yormark started his career by selling TV time to Upper Midwest sports teams at Katz Sports in New York, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Minnesota Twins.

Yormark then moved on to Palace Sports and Entertainment as a senior account executive. In 1998, he became NASCAR's director of corporate marketing, opening an office in New York. He then became vice president of corporate marketing and helped successfully negotiate the sponsorship deal with Nextel Communications which, at the time, was NASCAR's largest contract. [3]

In 2005, Bruce Ratner who owned the Nets at the time hired Yormark as CEO to help transform them into a world-class organization as a more popular, modern, and contemporary brand. He helped the franchise transition from New Jersey to Brooklyn, and led the marketing and operations functions of Barclays Center which opened in 2012. He spent 14 years with them as CEO of Brooklyn Sports Entertainment, negotiating deals for the Center that included the New York Islanders, Ultimate Fighting Championship, NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, SportsNet New York, ACC men's basketball tournament, and the Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament. Barclays Center placed in the top ten of all entertainment venues world-wide for ticket sales every year under his leadership. [4]

He left the Nets in 2019 [5] and was soon hired by Jay-Z to become Roc Nation's CEO and President of Business Operations and Strategy. [6] There, he helped negotiate a long-term agreement with the NFL to serve as the official live music entertainment for events such as the Super Bowl. [7]

On August 1, 2022, he left Roc Nation to become the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference. [8] [9] Three months later he finalized a new media rights agreement for the Big 12 Conference with partners ESPN and Fox Sports. [10] [1]

Personal life

Yormark grew up in Springfield and Morristown, New Jersey. [11] He graduated with an undergraduate degree in business from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington in 1988. [12]

He has two children and is married to Elaina Scotto. [13] His twin brother Michael Yormark is also a business and sports entertainment executive. [14] [9]

Achievements

Yormark was named in Crain's New York Business 40 under Forty in 2000 [15] and 2006 [16] as well as in Sports Business Journal's 40 under 40 in 2006. [9] He was also nominated as the Sports Executive of the Year by Sports Business Journal in 2024.[ citation needed ]

References

  1. 1 2 Davis, Seth. "Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Thinks Big and Moves Fast". Hoops HQ.
  2. ↑ "Brett Yormark Bio". Big 12 Sports. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Yormark Leaves NASCAR for NBA". Chief Marketer.com. January 26, 2005. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Brett Yormark". Global Service Institute. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark to step down amid ownership change – reports". Skysports.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  6. ↑ Aswad, Jim (April 5, 2022). "Roc Nation Hires Brett and Michael Yormark as Co-CEOs of New Agency". Variety . Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Roc Nation Enters into Long-Term Partnership with NFL as League's Official Live Music Entertainment Strategists". Roc Nation . August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Brett Yormark Bio". Big 12 Sports.
  9. 1 2 3 Dellenger, Ross; Forde, Pat (June 27, 2022). "Sources: Big 12 Aiming to Hire Roc Nation Executive Brett Yormark as Next Commissioner". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Big 12 finalizing six-year, $2.3 billion extension of media rights deal with ESPN and Fox Sports". CBSSports.com . CBS Sports. RotoWire. October 30, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  11. ↑ Rothman, Evan (February 5, 2008). "The Optimist". New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  12. ↑ "The Turnaround Twins - Sports Illustrated Vault". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Brett Yormark". Jewish Virtual Library . Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Michael Yormark". Sloan Sports Conference . Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  15. ↑ "40 Under 40 Class of 2000". Crain's New York Business . Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  16. ↑ "40 Under 40 Class of 2006". Crain's New York Business . Retrieved November 20, 2025.
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