Big 12 exploring Mexico bowl game, will put on regular season basketball game in 2024
The college football landscape continues to change — this time with a possible Big-12 bowl expansion into Mexico.
College football could join college basketball’s efforts in expanding south of the United States border. Two of which are already slated for December 2024. The bowl game, on the other hand, would be held in Monterrey, Mexico beginning during the 2026 postseason.
“The Big 12 is exploring starting a bowl game in Mexico in the postseason of 2026, with the site targeted to be Monterrey. The league will also hold a regular season game w/Houston and Kansas in Mexico City in 2024 in men’s and women’s basketball,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel wrote on Twitter.
Thamel also reports that Big 12 baseball and women’s soccer teams are set to play local teams in Mexico in exhibition matchups as well.
If the deal for the bowl game goes through, it will be the second international bowl game that the NCAA hosts, joining the Bahamas Bowl. Historically, it will be the fourth-ever bowl game to be regularly played outside of the United States, but never in Mexico.
Brett Yormark ‘thinks differently’ than other conference commissioners, benefits Big 12
Brett Yormark has been the Big 12 Commissioner for less than one full year. Despite that, he’s already become one of the most prominent figures in college athletics.
As On3’s Ivan Maisel explained during an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Maisel explained that Yormark has found success because he’s different.
“Well, Brett Yormark thinks differently than the traditional college administrator,” Maisel said. “And that’s been a great benefit to the Big 12. I mean, he got a TV deal done, he got them, promoted their sponsoring of playground hoops in New York. I mean, he’s trying to get their name out there in a way that is very non-traditional.”
One of the major accomplishments that Brett Yormark managed was to land a new media deal. It’s worth $2.28 billion. Notably, he got that deal done much quicker than the Pac-12 was able to negotiate its new media deal, as the conferences look to show stability. The Pac-12 is still looking for its next media partner or partners.
Recently, Yormark even announced the Big 12 would distribute $440 million to 10 conference members for the 2022-2023 season.
Another common occurrence has been rumors that Yormark wants to expand the Big 12 again. The most recent rumors include schools like Colorado, UConn, and Gonzaga.
“And inviting a Gonzaga, luring Colorado, talking to UConn. Why UConn would do it — I live in Connecticut — UConn left the Big East once and it didn’t go very well. Why they would do that again is mystifying.”
On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this report.