National Football Foundation

The commissioner of the Big 12 Conference from 2012-July 2022, Bob Bowlsby has been a member of the NFF Board of Trustees since 2012 and the NFF's Awards Committee since 2014, helping to annually select the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments and the Campbell Trophy® recipient.
 
Under his watch, the Big 12 saw tremendous growth in its national brand, television exposure, distributable revenue for its member institutions and competitive success. Most recently, he guided the Big 12's addition of four future members in BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston.
 
As one of the first achievements, Bowlsby finalized a 12- year comprehensive media rights agreement with ESPN and FOX Sports, one of the most lucrative television deals in college athletics. Subsequently, he oversaw the expansion of the ESPN relationship with the 2019 debut of the Big 12 Now digital distribution platform on ESPN+, on which hundreds of additional Big 12 sporting events and original programming are distributed annually on a worldwide basis.
 
Bowlsby played a key role in the formation of the College Football Playoff (CFP) that began in 2014-15. Additionally, under his leadership, the Big 12 Football Championship Game was reinstated beginning in 2017. During his tenure, the Big 12 has placed teams in the CFP New Year's Bowls throughout its seven-year history. The Big 12 is the home of two of the last five Heisman Trophy winners and 2021 NFF Campbell Trophy® recipient Charlie Kolar (Iowa State), and it was the only conference to place a team in the Final Four and CFP Semifinals in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
 
Prior to his role at the Big 12, Bowlsby spent six years as the athletics director at Stanford University, preceded by a 15-year stint as the AD at the University of Iowa and seven years in that role at the University of Northern Iowa. He earned his bachelor's degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 1975 and his master's degree from the University of Iowa in 1978.
 
"Bob Bowlsby has been a strong supporter of the NFF during his career, and he has provided us with excellent guidance as a member of both our Board and our Awards Committee," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "He always ensured that the NFF's mission of supporting the scholar-athlete ideal remained front and center at the Big 12, and he graciously allowed the NFF to present annually at its football media days. We are extremely grateful for all his support and friendship over the years, and we salute him for his recent retirement."