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Big 12 Media Days

What is the Big 12 Alumni Council? How Will it Help Drive the Success of the Conference?

As the Big 12 was going through its Media Days earlier this week, one of the stories that went under the radar was the formation of the Big 12 Alumni Council. According to the Big 12 website, it was created for the following reasons:

“The Big 12 Alumni Council is comprised of 32 former student-athletes from men’s and women’s programs across each Big 12 institution. The Council was created to leverage the experience and expertise of some of the Big 12’s most notable student-athlete alumni as the Conference enters a new era. These alumni will provide guidance and insights surrounding a variety of topics, including brand building, athlete relations, storytelling, digital content and much more.

In turn, each Council member will receive a variety of resources and amenities, including networking access to the Big 12’s Business Advisory Board for professional networking, league support of council member’s community initiatives, media opportunities on behalf of the league and VIP access to all Big 12 Championships and Conference events.”

Who is on the Big 12 Alumni Council?

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Jul 9, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

The council has one former female and male athlete from each of the 16 Big 12 schools. It is interesting that the conference decided to go with former athletes who may have been separated from their playing days for decades. However, by going with an older group of former athletes, they can gain the opinions of alumni who know more about the school’s tradition, history, and culture.

Here is a complete list of who is on the list.

Arizona Richard Jefferson
Arizona Jennie Finch
Arizona State Lawrence Guy
Arizona State Briann January
Baylor Whitney Canion
Baylor Robert Griffin III
BYU Steve Young
BYU Ashley Hatch
UCF Tacko Fall
UCF Shaquem Griffin
Cincinnati Jordan Thompson
Cincinnati Kevin Youkilis
Colorado Joel Klatt
Colorado Shelley Sheetz
Houston Andre Ware
Houston Natara Holloway Branch
Iowa State Ashley Joens
Iowa State Georges Niang
Kansas Wayne Simien
Kansas Lynette Woodard
Kansas State Kindred Wesemann Orpin
Kansas State Tyler Lockett
Oklahoma State Tiffany Bias Patmon
Oklahoma State Brandon Weeden
TCU Marshall Newhouse
TCU Zahna Medley Kindred
Texas Tech Cody Campbell
Texas Tech Carolyn Thompson
Utah Stevenson Sylvester
Utah Charmelle Green
West Virginia Georgeann Wells
West Virginia Mike Gansey

Unity Continues to Drive the Big 12

Big 12 Media Days

The Big 12 has been claiming that it is the most unified conference in the nation, and it has good reason to believe that.

  • Every G5 school hopes to leave its conference for a P4 conference. While many Big 12 schools would leave for the SEC or Big 10, it doesn’t appear any are actively looking to leave.
  • The Big 10 has teams like Nebraska and Iowa, which are often at odds with the conference. Also, Michigan and Ohio State call all the shots.
  • ACC is the next Pac-12. Lawsuits are flying left and right, and rumors are swirling about teams trying to leave. This is the least unified conference in the country.
  • SEC schools are all happy to be in the SEC, but if you think Arkansas or Vanderbilt have any say with anything, you’re kidding yourself.

By having an alumni council that reports to Commissioner Brett Yormark, the Big 12 is once again showing how committed they are to the conference’s schools. If the conference wants to play a game in Mexico, perhaps Steve Young can chime in and mention that Mexico has over one million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and that BYU would get a good crowd.

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About Adam Gibby

Adam Gibby is a dedicated sports writer specializing in college football and the NFL, particularly focused on the dynamic landscape of the Big 12. His articles have been prominently featured on respected platforms including Gridiron Heroics, ESPN, SEO.co, KSL Sports, Fansided, Yardbarker, MSN, Lawless Republic, and Blue Brigham. For inquiries, please contact via email at Gibbywriting@gmail.com or follow X @AGibbySports.

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