Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby gets two-year contract extension

The Big 12 Conference has extended commissioner Bob Bowlsby’s contract for two years, now set to expire after the 2018-19 academic year.

Under Bowlsby, who was hired in 2012, the Big 12 signed a 13-year television deal with ESPN and aligned that contract with its TV agreement with Fox, creating one of the richest conferences in college sports.

The TV deals have allowed the Big 12 to remain among the top five leagues in terms of revenue distributed to its members. This year, those figures ranged from $14 million to $23 million per school.

“The presidents of the Big 12 … recognize the exceptional leadership Bob has provided, and look forward to his long-term stewardship of the conference,” said Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis, who is the chairman of the Big 12 Board of Directors.

Bowsbly previously served as athletic director at Stanford and Iowa. He succeeded Chuck Neinas, who had been the interim commissioner.

This story was originally published June 19, 2014 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby gets two-year contract extension."