Paul Finebaum Slams Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Over Media Day Performance

ESPN announcer Paul Finebaum before the SEC Championship game. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest storylines of the entire offseason took center stage again last week at Big 12 Media Days.

Brendan Sorsby Saga Clouds Big 12 Media Days

The story revolves around former Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby. He was one of the top transfers in college football and was looked at as someone who could immediately help the Red Raiders contend for a national championship. There was just one big problem.

Sorsby was caught gambling on several different games, starting when he was a freshman on the Indiana Hoosiers football team. The NCAA immediately ruled him ineligible for the entire season, which is the common protocol for this offense.

Sorsby's lawyers took the NCAA to court and were granted an injunction, paving the way for him to be eligible this season. But after much backlash, it was revealed that Sorsby and Texas Tech had parted ways as Sorsby prepared for the NFL draft.

The story resurfaced at Big 12 Media Days as commissioner Brett Yormark was asked about the incident. However, he declined to comment. This drew major backlash from some of the most respected analysts in the sport.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Rips Brett Yormark Over Sorsby Response

One of those is ESPN's Paul Finebaum. On "McElroy and Cublic in the Morning," the SEC Network analyst said that Yormark's performance at media days was a major fail.

"It was a major fail for Brett Yormark," Finebaum said.

"This is a commissioner who has a big-time television, entertainment, and media background, and he completely failed. You have to understand your room at all times. There was no danger in discussing the Sorsby situation. The league could have taken a high position, saying, 'Listen, we were against it. We were going to court, and we finally found a legal solution that Sorsby can deal with.' Instead, he tucked and ran."

Yormark Looked Unprepared

Finebaum is right. This was something that Yormark and his communications staff should have been ready for.

He should have opened media day with a statement and, at the end, said that he won't be taking any questions on the incident. But you need to address it. He said this isn't the time or place for that. Well, when is? This is the perfect time and place, and it made him look bad because it made him look unprepared.

The Sorsby case was always going to follow the Big 12 into media days because it became one of the defining stories of the offseason.

By declining to address it, Yorkmark ensured the focus remained on what he didn't say rather than the conference's outlook for 2026.

Regardless of where people stand on the NCAA's handling of the case, the commissioner now faces continued scrutiny over how the conference communicated during one of its highest-profile public events.