What started as an ad campaign for the SEC in 2016 has become an iconic phrase in the college sports lexicon: It just means more. The four words have become a rallying cry for SEC football and the narrative that surrounds it: That nothing in college sports can top the teams, players and atmospheres produced on Saturdays in the fall.
The Big 12 may not have the catchphrase down yet, but its men’s basketball conference under commissioner Brett Yormark is developing a similar feel. The league that has topped the national conference rankings on KenPom in eight of the past 10 years and produced two of the last three national champions is “doubling down” on men’s basketball, per Yormark, even at a time when football has steered transformational decisions across the college sports landscape.
“I think basketball is undervalued, but it goes beyond just monetizing it,” Yormark said Tuesday at the league’s media days in Kansas City. “No sport connects better with culture than basketball. It’s also a great catalyst for international growth. Basketball is growing in popularity, and it resonates with younger audiences. It will continue to grow and will play a huge role in the future of our industry.”
