Mike Gundy declares Brett Yormark the best commissioner 'in all of sports'

The Big 12 Media Days unfolded on Tuesday and Wednesday, and plenty of news came with them. One particularly large story was Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark’s support for the 5+11 College Football Playoff model, which would give the five highest-ranked conference champions automatic bids, while the 11 others bids would go to at-large teams determined by the CFP selection committee.

Some fans criticized Yormark’s support for the 5+11 model, claiming that the model would likely lead to fewer Big 12 teams reaching the CFP. In the wake of the backlash, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy vehemently defended Yormark.

“The Big 12 has the best commissioner in all of sports, in my opinion,” Gundy said. “He’s energetic, he thinks outside the box, and he is motivated. As I spend time with him, what I learn more than anything about him is he has a way of getting a group together, having a discussion and then coming up with a plan. Having a plan gives us the best chance.”

Yormark took over the Big 12 on Aug. 1, 2022. Since then, the former Roc Nation CEO has made sweeping changes to attempt to position the Big 12 in an advantageous spot for the future.

In October of 2022, the Big 12 inked a six-year, $2.28 billion contract extension with ESPN and FOX. The move provided Big 12 schools with a substantial increase in media revenue per year.

Yormark didn’t stop there. While the Big 12 lost Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC, it’s added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah during Yormark’s tenure.

Additionally, Yormark searched for innovative ways to separate the Big 12 from its competition. One way Yormark achieved this was by creating a conference-wide football pro day, the first of its kind in college athletics.

Now, Yormark is campaigning for the 5+11 CFP model. He has Mike Gundy’s full support.

“I’m in agreement with the Commissioner and it’s by far the best way,” Gundy said. “I understand the backlash. What if you only get one team in? Well, then the other teams need to play better. That’s what I would say to Oklahoma State. That’s what I would say to me as a head coach.

“I like the Big 12 Conference. I like the future of this league, and I put my name behind the agreement that the 5+11 model is the way it should be. If you play well, you deserve it. You earn it. You get in. If you don’t, then you try again next year.”