In Frisco, Texas, the Big 12 has become the first Power Four conference to have all its members sign participation agreements with the College Sports Commission. This agency was established last year to oversee name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark emphasized the conference’s commitment to enforcing rules and setting an example in this area. “Signing the participation agreement is a clear indication of our leadership,” Yormark stated after the league concluded four days of meetings.
The signed agreement requires schools to waive their rights to sue the enforcement agency. It grants the agency authority to penalize programs that violate payment rules, which were clarified following a settlement last year. However, for the document to be effective, all 68 schools in the Power Four must sign the 11-page document. Schools were initially expected to review and sign by last December. Yormark remarked, “While other conferences claim to support enforcement, they have yet to sign.”
Richard Linton, Kansas State’s president, noted that the Big 12’s board, with representatives from its 16 schools, unanimously agreed to sign. Yormark expects to have all signatures by early next week.
The document details rules set after the House settlement approval last summer, including salary caps and the CSC’s involvement in reviewing third-party NIL deals via its NIL Go platform. Bryan Seeley, CEO of the CSC, discussed these matters with Big 12 members and officials during their meetings in North Texas.
Since its launch, the CSC has approved over 26,000 NIL deals, amounting to approximately $242.3 million as of May 1.
Yormark mentioned participating in a call with the CSC and other conference commissioners. “As a startup, not even a year old, we must evaluate what’s effective and what adjustments, both short-term and long-term, are needed,” he said. “We will explore this more in the coming weeks. But I remain optimistic about the CSC’s future.”