The drought lasted three years and 38 shows. But when it ended, it did so with a double shot of Big 12 football, Big 12 fans and Big 12 universities.
ESPN’s “College GameDay,” the landmark pregame show that serves as a three-hour promotional vehicle for the host school, aired live from a Big 12 campus Nov. 1 when Utah welcomed Cincinnati.
The following week, “GameDay” was at Texas Tech for the showdown with BYU.
Across the conference, relief and excitement were palpable in equivalent amounts.
“The pregame shows are valuable,” commissioner Brett Yormark told the Hotline this week. “They serve as infomercials for the schools, so those are big moments for us. And there’s a strategy behind it.”
That strategy reflects Yormark’s primary mission, which began three years ago and extends into the next decade, to raise the profile of Big 12 schools.
We’ll get to that piece momentarily. But the “GameDay” victory warrants context given the duration of the Big 12’s quest and the behind-the-scenes elements that ultimately, finally brought the show to the conference’s restructured footprint.
Prior to touching down in Salt Lake City earlier this month, “GameDay” had not aired live from a Big 12 setting since the Texas-Oklahoma duel on Oct. 7, 2023. But the Red River Rivalry is played at the Cotton Bowl, so ESPN staged the show at the Texas State Fair.
It had been three years since the “GameDay” set touched a Big 12 campus: On Nov. 12, 2022, Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and the crew — Nick Saban was more than a year away from retirement — were in Austin for Baylor-Texas.
The multi-year “GameDay” absence was not for lack of effort on the Big 12’s part, albeit within a highly fluid and competitive landscape. Every school in major college football wants to host the show, but logistics and on-field results can derail the best-laid plans.
“‘GameDay’ had been earmarked for certain moments that we thought would come to fruition,” Yormark said, “and it just didn’t work out.”
The courtship begins before the regular season, when the Big 12 office and campuses identify potential dates and matchups that could interest both “GameDay” and its Fox counterpart, “Big Noon Kickoff.”
Yormark speaks with network executives on a regular basis as the season progresses, pitching them on matchups that could have national appeal.
Meanwhile, the conference office works with campuses that potentially could accommodate the live Saturday broadcasts and the long days of preparation.
After all, much of the content is gathered throughout the week — a process that requires assistance from several arms of the athletic department (event management, communications, digital, marketing, etc.) and the campus writ large.
Matchups often look ideal for “GameDay” or “Big Noon” right up until the previous weekend, when a loss by one of the participants undermines the magnitude of the game.
“We are constantly planning for scenarios,” Yormark said. “We say, ‘Here are the schools and here’s what we’ll do … to make the show different.’ We let them know why they should go to Utah or Texas Tech. We’re very aggressive pitching the merits of why they should come to the schools.”
The return on investment is considerable. The “GameDay” broadcast from Salt Lake City drew an average of 2 million viewers on ESPN across three hours and 2.5 million in the final hour. And that was with ESPN (and all Disney networks) unavailable on YouTubeTV because of a carriage dispute.
Utah would have to spend tens of millions of dollars to generate an equivalent level of brand exposure through traditional marketing.
“It’s a labor of love because it’s such an honor to host these guys,” Utes athletic director Mark Harlan told ESPN 700 in Salt Lake City days before kickoff.
“There’s a lot of different things behind the scenes on why they pick and where they pick. But I know one thing’s true: It’s because you have a good team and a huge community that will support the show.”
Utah also served as host for “Big Noon Kickoff” the day of the Texas Tech game (Sept. 20), making it one of the few schools to host both pregame shows in the same season.
But in that regard, the Big 12’s calling card — its competitive balance — doubles as an obstacle.
Whereas “Big Noon Kickoff” is staged exclusively on the campuses of Fox’s partner conferences, the Big 12 and Big Ten, the “GameDay” set follows the biggest games, regardless of ESPN’s relationship with the host school’s conference. (ESPN is not part of the Big Ten’s TV deal, for example, but frequently visits Big Ten campuses.)
Relative to the Big Ten and SEC, the Big 12 lacks powerhouse programs and rarely has highly ranked teams, limiting the number of must-see matchups “GameDay” prefers.
“Parity is good because it creates interest and excitement,” Yormark said. “But over time, it would be good if a couple schools can become national brands. Having ‘GameDay’ and ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ helps us do that. They help us nationalize the schools.”
And therein lies the crux of Yormark’s strategy. His boldest moves have been designed to elevate the Big 12’s profile:
From the extension of the media rights deal with Fox and ESPN to the addition of the Four Corner schools (and inventory in four time zones); from the sub-licensing of football and basketball games to TNT and the push for more overseas kickoffs to the weekly pitches to “GameDay” and “Big Noon Kickoff” — everything serve as connective tissue within the overall mission.
“When I took the job, there were a lot of emerging brands in the conference,” he said. “My job is to create more value, to amplify the schools in an effort to make them more national.”
His plan has an informal deadline: January 2030, when the Big 12 takes its expiring media rights to market.
The process likely will last months. And by then, the NFL will have renewed its massive media deal. Same with the Big Ten. The College Football Playoff and NCAA Tournament will be preparing to feed from the trough.
Network cash won’t be scarce, but it will be precious.
The higher the Big 12’s profile, the greater the demand for content and the more lucrative the deal.
“That’s the focus: building brands and the level of performance,” he said. “We’re setting the table the right way.”
*** Previously published Hotline articles on sports media:
— Friday night football is a ratings success; are doubleheaders next?
— Our plan to save the USC-Notre Dame series
— How the Week 5 games highlight CBS’ big whiff with the SEC
— Explaining the 11 p.m. (ET) kickoff time for USC-Michigan State
— Dave Portnoy and Ohio State is a dangerous game for Fox
— The Big 12’s social media game is clever, proactive and undaunted
— Pac-12 partners with The CW on media rights for 2026+
— Where (and when) to find Big 12 football games this season
— Low ratings, NFL conflicts make it clear: CFP calendar needs to change
— Thanksgiving Eve is an open broadcast window the Big 12, Pac-12 should exploit
— Fox’s Friday night strategy and the future of sports on TV
— Explaining the Big Ten’s TV selection process
*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716
*** Follow me on the social media platform X: @WilnerHotline