Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark and Chief Football Officer Scott Draper are attending tonight’s game between BYU and SMU at Gerald R. Ford Stadium in Dallas. This marks BYU’s first road game of the 2024 season as they take on the SMU Mustangs.
Yormark, who has been in charge of the Big 12 since August 2022, is the fifth commissioner in the conference’s history. Draper was appointed as Chief Football & Competition Officer earlier this year.
Yormark recently addressed discussions regarding potential expansion of the conference, specifically mentioning the UConn Huskies. He stated, “As commissioner, it is my responsibility to explore a variety of value-creating opportunities on behalf of the Big 12. Following detailed discussions with my conference colleagues and UConn leadership, we have jointly decided to pause our conversations at this time. We will focus our attention and resources on ushering in this new era of college athletics.”
UConn Director of Athletics David Benedict supported Yormark’s comments, noting the significant changes in college athletics, including the rise of NIL and the transfer portal. He acknowledged that while there was exploratory dialogue regarding UConn’s potential membership in the Big 12, the discussions will now be paused.
The BYU Cougars’ 2024 schedule includes several key matchups:
– Southern Illinois Salukis at BYU Cougars (41-13 W)
– BYU Cougars at SMU Mustangs
– September 14 – BYU Cougars at Wyoming Cowboys (Kickoff 7 p.m. MT)
– September 21 – Kansas State Wildcats at BYU Cougars (Kickoff TBA)
– September 28 – BYU Cougars at Baylor Bears (Kickoff TBA)
– October 12 – Arizona Wildcats at BYU Cougars (Kickoff TBA)
– October 18 – Oklahoma State Cowboys at BYU Cougars (Kickoff 8:15 p.m. MT)
– October 26 – BYU Cougars at UCF Knights (Kickoff TBA)
– November 9 – BYU Cougars at Utah Utes (Kickoff TBA)
– November 16 – Kansas Jayhawks at BYU Cougars (Kickoff TBA)
– November 23 – BYU Cougars at Arizona State Sun Devils (Kickoff TBA)
– November 30 – Houston Cougars at BYU Cougars (Kickoff TBA)
The game against SMU can be watched on ESPN+, with Anish Schroff, Andre Ware, and Paul Carcaterra providing commentary. Fans can listen to the game on KSL NewsRadio and follow coverage on various platforms, including KSL Sports and the KSL Sports app.