Chris Del Conte Wants Nothing to Do With The Big 12 Commissioner Search

Whether or not you wear the burnt orange and white, it's hard to deny that the Texas Longhorns have one of the best athletic directors in the country.

Ever since arriving from TCU in 2017, Chris Del Conte has helped turn things around in Austin. He's hired multiple championship-level and title-winning coaches and helped Texas make a historical transition into the SEC.

As a result of this success, Del Conte immediately became an obvious name to watch once Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark announced he would be stepping down from the role, effective Jan. 31, 2027.

However, Del Conte is making it clear where he stands amid those rumors.

Chris Del Conte: "Print That!"

When asked if there's any truth to his rumored interest in joining the Big 12, Del Conte answered emphatically.

“Absolutely none,” Del Conte said, per OnTexasFootball. “Print that.”

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American Athletic Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti is also viewed as a potential candidate for the role.

Losing Del Conte would obviously be a massive blow to Texas, so it surely gives Longhorn fans a sign of relief to hear him shut down the speculation without any hesitation.

If he were to ever depart from Texas, the job opening would arguably be the most coveted position in college athletics, but it's hard to imagine that the Longhorns would be able to find a replacement that could immediately match Del Conte's impact.

It would certainly be weird to see Del Conte replace Yormark in the Big 12, especially considering the negative reception Yormark received from Texas fans upon the program's exit from the conference in 2023-24. Texas' won the Big 12 Championship in its final year in the conference, and fans at AT&T Stadium made sure to leave Yormark with a flurry of boos.

Despite Del Conte's comments, it does make sense why he was viewed as a target for the commissioner role. Dating back to his time at TCU and then at Texas, he worked in the Big 12 for 15 years.

The Big 12 has gone through some massive changes over the past few years and clearly needs better leadership to help lead the conference through an era of college athletics that is constantly changing.

Yormark simply wasn't cutting it.

But fortunately, that's not Texas' problem. Del Conte is here to stay in Austin.

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