Texas Football: Brett Yormark shows Big 12’s bias against the Longhorns

Texas football is about to enter its final year in the Big 12 before leaving for the SEC in 2024.

Texas fans expect plenty of animosity from opposing Big 12 fans during the final year of competition in the conference, especially in football.

Granted, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark didn’t do much at Big 12 Media Days this year to make the Longhorns feel like the conference’s administration will be openly against them this fall. The same can’t be said for Big 12 deputy commissioner Tim Weiser, though, who stuck his foot in his mouth talking about the Longhorns at media days last month.

Weiser saying at Big 12 Media Days that Texas would rather lose to Alabama in the SEC than Kansas State in the Big 12 was ludicrous.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark wants Texas Tech to beat Texas football this fall

https://twitter.com/NextRoundLive/status/1679906282768089088

The point of Texas fans feeling the animosity from the Big 12 was reinforced this week when Yormark made his feelings on the Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners leaving for the SEC clear. While speaking at the Red Raider Club’s kickoff luncheon on Aug. 23 (as the featured speaker), Yormark pressed Texas Tech Red Raiders head football coach Joey McGuire to beat the Longhorns in Austin this fall (transcription from On3).

"“Coach (McGuire), I’m not going to put any pressure on you, but I’m going to be in Austin on Thanksgiving. And you better take care of business like you did right here in Lubbock last year.”"

Yormark said this to the Red Raider faithful while discussing other topics, such as Big 12 expansion and media rights deals for the conference.

But this statement from Yormark about Texas Tech needing to “take care of business” against the Longhorns this fall, while he’s in attendance no less, completely disregards any of the prior diplomacy he showed when talking about Texas and OU this year.

Yormark went way out of his way to single out the Longhorns while speaking to the Red Raider faithful.

Big 12 showing clear favor to future members over Texas and OU

It might not surprise some that Big 12 administrators such as Yormark and Weiser have recent instances of showing public bias against Texas. But this sets the tone for what could be a bumpy ride regarding relations between the Big 12 and the Longhorns in the next six or eight months.