{{short description|American athletics director}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox person | name = Brett Yormark | image = Brett Yormark (cropped).png | caption = Yormark in 2022 | birth_name = Brett Yormark | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|9|28}} | birth_place = Springfield Township, New Jersey, U.S. | citizenship = American | education = | alma_mater = Indiana University Bloomington | occupation = Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference | years_active = | predecessor = Bob Bowlsby }}
'''Brett Yormark''' (born September 28, 1966) is the fifth and current<ref name="seth25">{{cite web|first=Seth|last=Davis|author-link=Seth Davis|url=https://hoopshq.com/seth-davis/big-12-commissioner|title=Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Thinks Big and Moves Fast|website=Hoops HQ}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Brett Yormark Bio|url= https://big12sports.com/sports/2022/7/31/BrettYormarkBio.aspx|access-date=November 13, 2022|website=Big 12 Sports |language=en}}</ref> He then became the chief executive officer of Roc Nation.
== 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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 26, 2005| title=Yormark Leaves NASCAR for NBA|url= https://chiefmarketer.com/yormark-leaves-nascar-for-nba/ |access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=Chief Marketer.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brett Yormark |url=https://globalserviceinstitute.org/honorary-advisory-board/brett-yormark/ |access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=Global Service Institute|language=en-US}}</ref>
He left the Nets in 2019<ref>{{Cite web|title= Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark to step down amid ownership change – reports |url= https://www.skysports.com/nba/news/36244/11786327/brooklyn-nets-ceo-brett-yormark-to-step-down-amid-ownership-change-reports|access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=Skysports.com|language=en-US}}</ref> and was soon hired by Jay-Z to become Roc Nation's CEO and President of Business Operations and Strategy.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Aswad |first=Jim |date=April 5, 2022 |title= Roc Nation Hires Brett and Michael Yormark as Co-CEOs of New Agency |url= https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/roc-nation-hires-brett-and-michael-yormark-as-co-ceos-of-new-agency-1203357972/|access-date=November 13, 2022 |magazine=Variety}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2019 |title= Roc Nation Enters into Long-Term Partnership with NFL as League’s Official Live Music Entertainment Strategists|url= https://rocnation.com/news/roc-nation-nfl-entertainment-strategist|access-date=August 22, 2023|website=Roc Nation}}</ref>
On August 1, 2022, he left Roc Nation to become the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brett Yormark Bio |url=https://big12sports.com/sports/2022/7/31/BrettYormarkBio.aspx |website=Big 12 Sports}}</ref><ref name="maximumthreetimes" /> Three months later he finalized a new media rights agreement for the Big 12 Conference with partners ESPN and Fox Sports.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Big 12 finalizing six-year, $2.3 billion extension of media rights deal with ESPN and Fox Sports|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-12-finalizing-six-year-2-3-billion-extension-of-media-rights-deal-with-espn-and-fox-sports/|access-date=May 31, 2024|website=CBSSports.com|publisher=CBS Sports|agency=RotoWire|date=30 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="seth25" />
== Personal life == Yormark grew up in Springfield and Morristown, New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rothman |first=Evan |date=February 5, 2008 |title=The Optimist |url=https://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/the-optimist-2/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=New Jersey Monthly}}</ref> He was born to a Jewish family. He graduated with an undergraduate degree in business from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington in 1988.<ref>{{cite web| url =https://vault.si.com/vault/2005/12/19/the-turnaround-twins-| title =The Turnaround Twins - Sports Illustrated Vault|publisher=Sports Illustrated|accessdate=21 May 2025}}</ref>
He has two children and is married to Elaina Scotto.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brett Yormark |url= https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/brett-yormark |access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=Jewish Virtual Library|language=en-US}}</ref> His twin brother Michael Yormark is also a business and sports entertainment executive.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Michael Yormark |url= https://www.sloansportsconference.com/people/michael-yormark|access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=Sloan Sports Conference|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="maximumthreetimes" />
== Achievements == Yormark was named in Crain's New York Business 40 under Forty in 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://crainsnewyork.com/awards/40-under-40-class-2000|title=40 Under 40 Class of 2000|website=Crain's New York Business|access-date=November 20, 2025}}</ref> and 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=https://crainsnewyork.com/awards/40-under-40-class-2006|title=40 Under 40 Class of 2006|website=Crain's New York Business|access-date=November 20, 2025}}</ref> as well as in Sports Business Journal's 40 under 40 in 2006.<ref name="maximumthreetimes">{{cite magazine|url=https://si.com/college/2022/06/28/brett-yormark-big-12-commissioner|title=Sources: Big 12 Aiming to Hire Roc Nation Executive Brett Yormark as Next Commissioner|first1=Ross|last1=Dellenger|first2=Pat|last2=Forde|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=June 27, 2022|access-date=November 20, 2025}}</ref> He was also nominated as the Sports Executive of the Year by Sports Business Journal in 2024.{{cn|date=November 2025}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Big 12 Conference commissioner navbox}} {{NCAA Division I FBS conference commissioner navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yormark, Brett}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Big 12 Conference commissioners Category:Kelley School of Business alumni Category:Indiana University Bloomington alumni