Bob Bowlsby to leave Big 12 before Oklahoma and Texas do

The Big 12 is getting a new commissioner, as Bob Bowlsby is stepping down later this year.

After 10 years on the job, the Big 12 will have to replace longtime commissioner Bob Bowlsby, who is stepping down later this year.

Bowlsby took over the Big 12 during a major transition period involving conference realignment. The Big 12 lost Nebraska to the Big Ten, Colorado to the Pac-12 and Missouri and Texas A&M to the SEC in short order. While the Big 12 added TCU and West Virginia, it has remained a 10-team league throughout his tenure. With another wave of realignment coming, Bowlsby exits stage left.

Here is an excerpt of the official statement put out by Bowlsby about his decision to step down.

“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,” said Bowlsby in a statement on Tuesday.

While the Big 12 will soon lose Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC, the conference will be gaining four new schools in short order to eventually get them back to 12 in BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF.

“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 stepping down means SEC commissioner Greg Sankey will be by far and away the longest tenured Power 5 commissioner and a very, very powerful one at that.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is stepping down in his role later this year

The Big 12 Bowlsby oversaw will be vastly different than the one his successor will oversee. Though the Big 12 made four wise decisions to add in the next wave of realignment, losing cash cows and conference pillars in Oklahoma and Texas is absolutely brutal. While it remains to be seen if the Big 12 will carry the gravitas it once had, there is a chance they could be left behind.

The good news by adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF is that three of them have won the Group of 5 before during the College Football Playoff era. While BYU has not as a national independent, this is a proud football program and one that won a national title in 1984. Though they are not going to offset the losses of Oklahoma and Texas, the Big 12 comes out okay here.

What is important though is for the Big 12 to find the right replacement for Bowlsby. His run as Big 12 commissioner was not always smooth sailing, but he did more good than bad leading this Power 5 conference. The round-robin, 9-game regular-season schedule was a huge success, allowing the Big 12 championship game to be played once again. Basketball was always solid, too.

The biggest key with Bowlsby’s successor is finding a visionary who can see what a strong future looks like for the Big 12 without Oklahoma and Texas. It may not be easy, but this new 12-team league looks to be an incredibly competitive one on both the gridiron and the hardwood. Playoff expansion will ultimately serve this reshaped conference, but things are not that bleak for them.

Replacing Bowlsby will not be easy, but it is a top priority for the Big 12 with him stepping down.

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