Brett Yormark Sports manager Country: USA

1. Sport Management Career
2. Early Career
3. NASCAR and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment
4. Roc Nation and Big 12 Conference
5. Personal Life and Achievements

Sport Management Career

Brett Yormark is an American sports executive and administrator. He is the fifth and current Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, a position he has held since August 1, 2022. Yormark has a diverse professional experience in the sports and entertainment industry, holding senior business positions at Palace Sports & Entertainment, Katz Sports, NASCAR, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE Global), and Roc Nation.

Early Career

Yormark began his professional career working in various positions in the sports and entertainment industry. In the early 1990s, he started selling airtime to Midwest sports teams at Katz Sports in New York, where he acquired and managed broadcast rights for several NBA, MLB, and AHL teams, including the Admirals, Brewers, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Minnesota Twins. Yormark then moved on to selling sponsorships for the Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment as a senior client relations manager.

NASCAR and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment

In 1998, Yormark was hired by NASCAR as the Director of Corporate Marketing and helped open an office in New York to expand the sport nationally. He later became the Vice President of Corporate Marketing at NASCAR and played a key role in securing a 10-year, $750 million sponsorship agreement with Nextel Communications. In 2005, former Nets owner Bruce Ratner hired Yormark to help transform the Nets into a world-class organization and a more popular, modern brand. Yormark played a crucial role in relocating the franchise from New Jersey to Brooklyn and led the marketing and operations functions of the Barclays Center, which opened in 2012. He spent 14 years with the Nets organization as the CEO of Brooklyn Sports Entertainment. During his tenure, Yormark secured several major deals for the Barclays Center, including partnerships with the New York Islanders, UFC, NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, ACC Men's Basketball Tournament, and Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament. Under Yormark's leadership, the Barclays Center consistently ranked among the top 10 entertainment venues in the world in ticket sales.

Roc Nation and Big 12 Conference

In 2019, Yormark left the Brooklyn organization due to a change in ownership. He was soon hired by his former business acquaintance, Jay-Z, whom he knew from his time at the Nets, as the CEO of Roc Nation and President of Business Operations and Strategy. At Roc Nation, Yormark helped negotiate a long-term partnership with the NFL, making it the league's official entertainment center with live music at events such as the Super Bowl. On August 1, 2022, Yormark left Roc Nation to become the Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference. Just three months after his hiring, on October 30, 2022, Yormark secured a new media rights agreement for the Big 12 Conference with ESPN and Fox Sports. The six-year agreement, totaling $2.28 billion, will take effect in the 2025/26 season and extend until the 2030/31 season.

Personal Life and Achievements

Yormark graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1988 with a degree in business. He has two children and is married to Elaine Scotto. His twin brother, Michael Yormark, is also a sports and entertainment executive, currently serving as the President and Head of Branding and Strategy at Roc Nation, as well as the former President and CEO of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment, the organization behind the Florida Panthers. Yormark has been recognized for his achievements, being named in Crain's New York Business' "40 Under Forty" list in 2000 and 2006, as well as Sports Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" list in 2006.