Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark complimented the Colorado football program on Wednesday when he met with reporters at Big 12 Media Day and said, among other things, his conference has “a plan for expansion” moving forward.

The Buffaloes have long been a rumored target for the Big 12, which has long been said to want to expand its footprint further west. CU was once a member of the league before joining the Pac-12, and it would provide a Mountain timezone partner for first-year member BYU.

Speculation about Colorado’s interest in rejoining the Big 12 has grown louder the longer the Pac-12 has gone without a new media rights deal, and Yormark’s comments on Wednesday aren’t likely to quiet things on that front.

“They know brand. I’m a brand guy,” Yormark said when asked about CU, which will open the 2023 season in Big 12 country against TCU. “I think they’ve done an incredible job if you look at kind of how they’re elevating and amplifying their brand and engaging with their fans. They’ve done a wonderful job. So I wish them well.”

The Pac-12 will hold its media event later this month. League commissioner George Kliavkoff will undoubtedly be asked all the same questions he’s been asked for the last year. What will the media deal look like? Will it be good enough to hold the league together?

With USC and UCLA entering their final year as members of the league, many are curious as to what the plan is for the future.

The same can be said of the Big 12. Yormark didn’t want to reveal too much.

“We have a plan for expansion. I’m not going to really address it today. You can ask me, but I’m not really going to address it. We do have a plan and hopefully we can execute that plan sooner than later,” Yormark said of expansion. “But as I’ve always said, I love the composition of this conference right now. The excitement the four new members have brought to this conference has been incredible and if we stay at 12, we’re perfectly fine with that. If the opportunity presents itself, where there’s something that creates value and aligns well with our goals and objectives … then we’re certainly going to pursue it.”

Asked if providing a regional partner for BYU would be something of importance for him, Yormark said there’s nothing imminent.

“Right now, I mean there’s nothing on the board,” he said. “Again, we’ll explore all options but until that point, we love the current makeup and we’re excited about it.”