Brett Yormark reacts to 'break away' comments about Big Ten, SEC: 'Let's stay together'

Last week, Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard made waves with his comments about the Big Ten and SEC. He expressed frustration with alleged College Sports Commission rules violations and said the two conferences should “break away” if they so choose.

While he had not yet spoken with Pollard at the time, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark shared his response to the remarks. He said the conference’s ADs are free to speak their mind, but his personal stance is the power leagues should “stay together” and find a solution in the ever-changing landscape.

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Pollard’s comments came after a report from Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger detailed frustration from the Big Ten and SEC about elements of the landmark House settlement. Yormark said he has been at work with his counterparts in the power conferences and encouraged them to collectively navigate the wave of change.

“I can’t speak for Jamie,” Yormark said on The Triple Option. “I can only say, as far as I’m concerned, I’ve been very collegial with my colleagues. I want to see us come together and figure this out as a collective group. We have spent a lot of time discussing federal legislation, the CSC and a model that works. If people believe they’re better off going on their own, then they’ve got to pursue what’s best for them.

“I can only speak for the Big 12, and our preference would certainly be, let’s stay together. Let’s work through some of the challenges and issues and let’s land in a better place. But I don’t control what my other colleagues do or, for that matter, what their rooms do. I can only speak for the Big 12.”

Greg Sankey: Self-governance talks not ‘anything new’

The idea of a “breakaway,” of sorts, was among the topics to watch during this week’s SEC spring meetings in Destin. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart voiced his confidence in the conference’s ability to do so, should it choose to go that direction.

Speaking with reporters in Destin on Monday, commissioner Greg Sankey said the idea of self-governance isn’t a new conversation, necessarily. But he also cited a sense of frustration, particularly in Washington, D.C. as the SCORE Act again failed to advance to the House floor. That’s why he further stressed the need for “national standards.”

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“The fact that we’re talking about our own rules isn’t anything new,” Sankey said. “What you’re hearing is the expression of frustration about the lack of progress, and I’ll go back to March 6. I was in the White House, and I spoke about the need for national standards.

“We still believe we need national standards. If those can’t be achieved, then we’ll have to look at more conference-led regulation, but that’s the reality we’re facing.”