Big 12 First to Sign Agreements with College Sports Commission

The Big 12 Conference has become the first among the Power Four conferences to have all its members sign participation agreements with the College Sports Commission (CSC). This agency, formed last year, oversees name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments.

Commissioner Brett Yormark emphasized the Big 12’s commitment to this initiative, stating, “The Big 12 wants rules and enforcements, and we want to be a leader in that area.” This statement followed the conclusion of the league’s four-day annual meetings. Signing the agreement reflects this commitment.

The participation agreement requires schools to relinquish the right to file lawsuits against the CSC. It allows the agency significant authority to impose sanctions on programs that violate set guidelines. These rules govern player payments following a settlement approved last year.

For the document to become effective, signatures from all 68 Power Four schools are required. Initially, all schools were asked to review and sign by last December. However, Yormark noted, “I can’t speak for the other conferences. I mean, obviously they all say they want rules and enforcement, but they haven’t signed the participation agreement.”

Richard Linton, president of Kansas State, mentioned that the Big 12 board of directors, consisting of presidents and chancellors from the league’s 16 schools, unanimously agreed to sign.

Yormark expects all signatures to be obtained by early next week. The rules outlined in the document were established post the House settlement’s approval last summer. These include salary cap regulations and the CSC’s role in evaluating third-party NIL deals using its NIL Go platform.

Since its inception, the CSC has cleared over 26,000 NIL deals, amassing a total value of approximately $242.3 million by May 1. Bryan Seeley, CEO of the CSC, addressed Big 12 members and league officials during their recent meetings in North Texas.

Yormark noted a recent discussion with the CSC and other conference commissioners. He remarked, “Like any startup, and the CSC is a startup, not even 12 months old, you have to think about what’s working and what’s not and what are the necessary adjustments both short-term and long-term that we should be considering.” Yormark expressed confidence in the CSC’s direction.

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