Big 12 Partners With NFL to Launch Conference-Wide Pro Day Beginning in 2024

Mini combines held by schools and sparsely attended by NFL personnel will soon be a thing of the past in the Big 12 of the future. The conference on Wednesday announced that, beginning in 2024, the league will hold a conference-wide Pro Day event as part of a partnership with the NFL where every team will participate. The 2024 event will be held at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

“The Big 12 Pro Day, debuting in spring of 2024 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas will be the first-ever conference-wide pro day, replacing and advancing traditional on-campus pro days,” the Big 12 said in a statement announcing the news. “The event will showcase Big 12 football talent at a world-class facility, providing maximum exposure for Big 12 student-athletes as they prepare for their professional careers.”

Prior to this, each school held individual on-campus workouts open for NFL personnel, but the all-in-one day should make it easier for the who’s who of the NFL scouting departments to attend. This should be a great move that benefits everyone in the league in a mini-combine of sorts where scouts and NFL personnel can get a one-stop shop look at everyone in the Big 12 in one day as opposed to making multiple trips to scout players. (The trips to Morgantown, Fort Worth, Manhattan all being consolidated into one spot should be easy on the wallet, too.)

“The first-of-its-kind Big 12 Pro Day will provide our student-athletes an opportunity to showcase their talent and skill as they turn their NFL dreams into reality,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “Through this partnership with the NFL, Big 12 student-athletes will receive national media exposure across NFL Network and NFL Media platforms. We are thrilled to partner with the NFL to host this Pro Day, and we look forward to creating a special experience for our student-athletes.”

One cool twist: the Big 12 will also make this an event for fans, too, not just for players and NFL staffers. As part of this partnership the Big 12 says that while the event will be closed to the public for on-field workouts, it will host a Big 12 Fan Fest outside replete with VIP appearances, fan engagement experiences and more.