Big XII commissioner is still talking about going international

Whether you love Brett Yormark or hate him, no one can deny that the Big XII commissioner is never boring. Whereas ACC commissioner Jim Phillips seems perfectly content with being subservient to the Big Ten and SEC, Yormark is willing to push the boundaries to make his conference interesting.

The extended partnership that was announced yesterday with the WWE  is a perfect lead to Yormark's commitment to giving the conference a significant international footprint. Yormark reiterated his commitment to having international events under the Big XII banner.

“I want this conference to be a global conference,” Yormark said during Big 12 football media days. “I think we can win globally big-time.”

Yormark had previously announced 'Big XII Mexico', which was supposed to result in a basketball game between Kansas and Houston held in Mexico City in 2024 and a football game in Monterrey, Mexico in 2026.

Unfortunately for Yormark, 'Big XII Mexico' has yet to come to fruition, but the Big XII is getting out into Europe this year with Kansas State receiving $2.2 million to move its 'Farmageddon' game with Iowa State to Ireland for a week-zero clash. Also, Baylor's women's team will open their season in France. 

Mexico is the focus, but where else could the Big XII land?

It's clear that Yormark is still all-in on Big XII events in Mexico, and is hopeful the conference can play some baseball games in Mexico City next season. It makes sense to focus on Mexico because that's the closest place for fans to travel and makes the most sense financially and logistically.

But what about a country that's willing to pay large sums of money for a sporting event? A place like Saudi Arabia? The Big XII could leverage their relationship with the WWE to broker an event in Saudi Arabia and probably get a nice payout for it. Would the payout be worth the potential criticism? Probably. LIV Golf, MMA, Boxing, WWE and several major international soccer stars have done business with the country and haven't been any worse off for it. 

While the potential of a Big XII football or basketball game in the Middle East seems unlikely, don't believe for a second that Yormark hasn't thought about it. He's the one guy in college football that is not afraid to have big ideas.