KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Beginning next year, the Big 12 Conference will have a new look and a new commissioner.
Commissioner Bob Bowlsby on Tuesday announced plans to step away later this year from the job he's held since May 4, 2012.
The Big 12 said Bowlsby will remain as commissioner until a replacement is found.
In a news release, the Big 12 said Bowlsby will then "transition to a new interim role with the Conference, subject to the mutual agreement of Bowlsby and the new Commissioner."
Bowlsby, 70, said in a release the timing of the move felt right.
"After more than 40 years of serving in leadership roles in intercollegiate athletics, including the last 10 with the Big 12, and given the major issues that college sports in general and the Big 12 specifically will address in the next several years, I have reached a natural transition point in my tenure as Commissioner, as well as in my career," Bowlsby said.
"The Big 12 will soon bring in our four new members and negotiate a new grant of rights and media rights agreements. I truly believe the Big 12 and our member institutions are in a strong position now and as we look into the future. As such, this is an appropriate time for me to step away from the Commissioner's role so that the next leader of the Conference can take the reins on these significant matters that will come to the forefront before the end of the term of my employment agreement in 2025 to set the stage for the Big 12's future ongoing success."
Bowlsby took over during a period of conference realignment in 2011-12 that saw Nebraska leave the Big 12 for the Big Ten, Colorado head to Pac-12, and Missouri and Texas A&M join the SEC.
The Big 12 added TCU and West Virginia to fill out the current 10-team conference.
Now Texas and Oklahoma plan to join the SEC on July 1, 2025, and Bowlsby helped the league land four new members. BYU will join the Big 12 for the 2023-24 season, and Cincinnati, Central Florida and Houston will become members no later than July 1, 2024.
"On behalf of the Big 12 Conference, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Commissioner Bowlsby for his outstanding leadership over the last decade," Lawrence Schovanec, Chair of the Big 12 Board and President of Texas Tech University, said in a statement. "Bob has consistently driven distributable revenue growth for the Conference's member institutions, has stood strong during turbulent times in the world of collegiate sports, has led innovation within collegiate athletics, and has worked tirelessly to ensure the stability and future of the Big 12 Conference.
"Bob's leadership contributed to the opportunities afforded to our students and their success beyond their athletic experiences. The Conference will continue to excel, and we are confident of an even brighter future. I appreciate that during this transition, Bob will continue to be a trusted resource for the Conference in whatever appropriate role on which he and the new Commissioner mutually agree."
