Big 12 Notes

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Big 12 Notes – Spring/Summer – 2024

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July 26th

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NCAA and House plaintiffs agree on future roster limits; $2.78 billion in back payments

From CBS Sports … The NCAA and plaintiffs filed on Friday a long-form agreement to settle a multi-billion dollar, class-action lawsuit that paves the way for a new revenue-sharing model and governance that introduces roster-size limits and NIL regulation in major college athletics.

The 100-page agreement filed in the Northern District of California provides more details on terms of the settlement, which involves three class-action lawsuits, most notably the House v. NCAA. The newest and most consequential details include roster-size limits beginning with the 2025-26 seasons, which were determined by power conference commissioners earlier in the week, and unlimited scholarships in all sports. The agreement also sets the stage to share up to 22% of total revenues to future athletes and the establishment of a clearinghouse to help govern name, image and likeness deals.

“This is another important step in the ongoing effort to provide increased benefits to student-athletes while creating a stable and sustainable model for the future of college sports,” an NCAA spokesperson wrote in a press release. “While there is still much work to be done in the settlement approval process, this is a significant step toward establishing clarity for the future of all of Division I athletics while maintaining a lasting education-based model for college sports, ensuring the opportunity for student-athletes to earn a degree and the tools necessary to be successful in life after sports.”

Schools will also have flexibility in sharing scholarships, with all sports now labeled as “equivalency sports,” allowing for partial scholarships to be distributed to players in football and basketball. Those sports were previously tabbed as “head-count sports,” which required players to be on full scholarship.

Football rosters will be limited to 105 players, resulting in as many as 20 additional scholarships beyond the current scholarship restrictions (85), sources told CBS Sports. With unlimited scholarships, baseball teams will be able to provide as many as 34 scholarships to players, an increase from the 11.7 “equivalency” among 27 players allowed today. Softball will jump from 12 to 25.

Former athletes will be paid $2.78 billion in back payments over the next 10 years. The new structure for revenue-sharing with future players will be capped at 22% of the average total revenue generated at schools in eight categories reported in the NCAA’s Membership Financial Reporting System. Those revenue categories include ticket sales and media rights. That should amount to nearly $22 million annually, which will increase 4% annually, with further re-evaluations built in after the first, fourth and seventh years of the 10-year agreement. Should the parties agree that revenues have changed substantially between those dates, a yearly evaluation is possible.

The longform agreement also includes stricter rules on NIL, though how those will be enforced remain unanswered — and the NCAA and plaintiffs have yet to agree on an arbiter. NIL agreements over $600 will be subject to review by a clearinghouse to ensure they are legitimate, fair-market value agreements that are not used in a pay-for-play scheme. How the autonomy five schools will police NIL is to be determined, and it’s not clear if enforcement will be handled by the NCAA or the conferences. Schools will also be allowed to pay players directly for their NIL, however doing so will apply toward the 22% revenue cap. Outside parties will continue to be allowed to strike separate NIL deals with players.

“Collectives aren’t going to go away if there’s a salary cap,” said Russell White, president of The Collective Association. “Universities will continue to want to compete above and beyond (the base revenue shares).”

The 22% revenue share equates to as much as $2 billion annually among the power conferences, according to the NCAA. In addition to scholarships, meals and academic support already provided, the NCAA says power conference schools will share “nearly 50%” of its athletics revenue to players.

That doesn’t necessarily mean all schools will provide full scholarships to all players. For example, several administrators surveyed by CBS Sports this week do not expect to provide full scholarships to all 34 players on baseball rosters. The increase in scholarships are expected to add $5 million to $10 million in expenses for each school.

The NCAA is still seeking federal legislation to circumvent state laws that could conflict with the settlement. Conference leaders have also been clear they prefer to not designate players as employees. The National Labor Relations Board and the plaintiff attorneys have previously argued for employment designation, according to the NCAA.

The biggest complication is Title IX compliance and whether future payments must be shared equally among all players or if a weighted system can be utilized to reward revenue-generating sports like football with more money than their female counterparts. The unspoken truth among administrators is it seems unlikely they will advocate for equal pay for athletes whose sports earn less than football and men’s basketball.

“It’s very likely we’re going to see non-revenue sports get massacred,” said Jason Belzer, president of Student Athlete NIL. “Title IX is going to be a very big battle. How are you going to stop it? It’s going to be tough.”

But is there a blueprint to follow in the current settlement agreement? Ninety percent of back payments are expected to be distributed to football and men’s basketball players. Several administrators believe that structure could set the stage for the future revenue-sharing model, though it likely needs to be codified in Congress to avoid Title IX lawsuits.

… Continue reading story here …

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Jedd Fisch on Washington roster turnover: “That has never been done before”

… Only worth posting because neither Fisch nor the writer of the article pointed out that a complete roster turnover was what Coach Prime did last year (and was harshly criticized for doing) … 

From ESPN … First-year Washington coach Jedd Fisch will lead the Huskies into their inaugural season in the Big Ten with what he said is a “brand-new team” from the one that advanced to the College Football Playoff last season before losing to Michigan in the national championship game.

Fisch said Washington, which has won 25 of its past 28 games, has 46 new scholarship players; has an entirely new coaching staff, training staff, strength staff and nutrition staff; and will have 21 of 22 new starters when the Huskies’ season kicks off against Weber State on Aug. 31.

“That has never been done before,” said Fisch, who spoke to the media Thursday on the final day of Big Ten media days at Lucas Oil Stadium. “And we’re excited about that challenge. We have four players on our team that recorded one start. We are now starting over and it’s a true reboot, but so is college football. It’s a whole lot of new.”

Fisch, who replaced Kalen DeBoer, said he brought 12 players and 21 staff members with him from Arizona, where he led the Wildcats to one of the most impressive turnarounds in the sport during his three-year tenure there. Arizona was 1-11 in 2021 but finished last season 10-3 and ranked No. 14 in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s final poll and No. 11 in the Associated Press poll. Fisch said his current offensive assistants have coached together for four years and have been together for every game with Fisch as a head coach.

… Asked what realistic expectations are for this season, Fisch said they want to be “the hardest opponent that everybody plays.”

“I want our opponents to feel like they left that game and they played two games in a row,” he said. “Our expectation is that we’re going to be the toughest team that they play every week, and then from there, we’ll let the score take care of itself. We’re not going to count wins and losses right now and try to figure out what that looks like. We tell our team there is no scoreboard. We just need to go out there and play our best games and see what that looks like.”

… Read full story here …

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July 24th 

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Big Ten commissioner – 18 teams good enough (for now): “Over time, you’ll start to see the geographic footprint expand”

From ESPN … After expanding in each of the past two summers, the Big Ten expects to stay at 18 members as it prepares to welcome four new additions from the West Coast.

Commissioner Tony Petitti said at Big Ten media days Tuesday that the league is “focused on the 18 right now,” as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington will officially join the conference next month. Petitti took a similar position toward USC and UCLA at 2023 Big Ten media days, but movement from the Pac-12 to other conferences resulted in a quick pivot and the additions of both Oregon and Washington in early August.

“A lot of work had to be done to integrate USC, UCLA, and we started that work over immediately when we added Oregon and Washington,” Petitti said. “So I think we’re really comfortable with where we are. We’ve got to get this conference right, and that’s where our focus is.”

Petitti praised the accomplishments of the four new members during his opening comments, noting 10 Heisman Trophy winners, 73 College Football Hall of Famers, 41 Rose Bowl championships and 173 first-round NFL draft picks, including six in the 2024 draft and the first overall selection in USC quarterback Caleb Williams. In-season travel will be more challenging for both the four schools and the Big Ten’s existing members, although the league crafted football schedules to prevent cross-country trips in consecutive weeks.

“I really believe scheduling is something that has to be constantly evaluated by sport,” Petitti said. “And I anticipate that we’ll get a lot more right in these next couple of years, the way we’ve formatted and scheduled. But it’s our job to listen to student-athletes, to listen to coaches, to make sure that we’re adjusting and making the change we need.”

Petitti announced that the Big Ten football championship game will remain at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis through at least 2028 but that alternative sites will be explored, including those on the West Coast. The league’s title game has been played in Indianapolis since its inception in 2011.

“It’s really important that markets around the country get to experience Big Ten championships,” Petitti said. “It’s a really good way to connect the conference. So over time, you’ll start to see the geographic footprint expand.”

… Continue reading story here …

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July 23rd

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Utah’s Kyle Whittingham to receive $1M/year as a “special assistant” after retirement

From Sports Illustrated … Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has developed his football program into a contender in the West. This sustained success has not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by his lucrative compensation package. However, there was one clause from his latest contract amendment that reveals his post-retirement plans.

Upon stepping down, Whittingham has a five-year agreement to serve as a special assistant to the athletics director, with an annual salary of $995,000. This clause ensures that he’ll remains a valuable asset to the university even after stepping down from his coaching duties. He will also receive a lump sum upon announcing his retirement, which is over $1.5 million.

Whittingham is set to earn $6,525,000 this year, according to the terms of his deal. This makes him the highest-paid state employee in Utah and third-highest in the Big 12 conference. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and Kansas’ Lance Leipold are the top two respectively.

If projections are correct for Utah in 2024, Whittingham will have more to brag about than success on the field. He’ll receive a total of $1 million in bonuses, if the Utes win the Big 12 and advanced past the second round of the College Football Playoff.

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July 21st 

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25 Simulated seasons under EA Sports ’25: CU never makes the playoff

From The Athletic … I have seen the future of college football, and it is dominated by Ducks.

My first objective upon downloading EA Sports’ College Football 25 was a fact-finding mission. I simulated the upcoming and unprecedented 2024 season in Dynasty mode to find out how the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and this new era for conference realignment played out. And then I started over and simulated the season over and over again until I had 25 seasons of data.

I did not play any games, I did not alter the default settings or rosters and I did not get much sleep. After creating 25 Dynasty files, an Xbox notification urged me to stop. Still, sicko mission accomplished. Just like Doctor Strange on Titan, I went forward in time to see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflicts: conference races, Heisman winners, CFP brackets, even the coaching carousel. Here’s what I learned.

Twenty-five attempts, 61 playoff teams

The Playoff expanding from four teams to 12 this fall means more programs across the sport get a real opportunity to enter the national championship race. Over the course of the 25 simulations of this upcoming season, 61 different FBS teams made at least one CFP appearance.

The 12 teams that most frequently earned playoff appearances: Michigan (23), Oregon (22), Georgia (17), Ohio State (17), Texas A&M (13), Alabama (12), Utah (11), Miami (10), Clemson (nine), Kansas State (nine), Notre Dame (nine) and Penn State (nine).

In the end, there were 46 teams that made multiple CFP appearances in the game. Texas Tech, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Iowa State and Syracuse are all on that list.

Colorado did not make a CFP in any of the simulations despite having the best QB in the game and a top-20 roster. In fact, Shedeur Sanders only finished in the top five in Heisman voting once. Nine different teams won Big 12 titles over the 25 sims, but the Buffs weren’t one of them.

There were several more curious snubs among the 23 Power 4 programs that never made the Playoff. Iowa earned zero bids despite its excellent defense. TCU came up short every time, and the computer frequently fired its coach. Indiana actually played in multiple Big Ten title games but could not break through to the Playoff. And oddly enough, UCLA did win one Big Ten title yet was left out that year.

The battle for bids in the SEC was rather remarkable to track. Fourteen of its 16 members achieved playoff berths over the 25 simulations, but would you have guessed it would be Texas A&M earning the second-most? Texas and Ole Miss got in seven times each and never managed to win it all. Missouri made it to three CFPs. LSU only got in twice.

And believe it or not, the SEC emerged with just five national champions over the 25 simulations.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 20th

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NCAA Olympians by college (CU with four)

… 210 schools represented … Big 12 well behind the other Power Four conferences … Big Ten: 249 (aided greatly by USC and UCLA) … SEC: 229 … ACC: 223 (aided greatly by Stanford and Cal) … Big 12: 105 …

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CFP: No decisions on 2026 postseason format until after the 2024 season

From ESPN … Leaders of the College Football Playoff won’t make any decisions about what the sport’s postseason format will look like in 2026 and beyond until after a national champion has been crowned in the inaugural season of a 12-team field, executive director Rich Clark told ESPN on Wednesday.

The playoff will expand from four to 12 teams for each of the next two seasons, with the five highest-ranked conference champions joining the next seven highest-ranked teams in the field. The current, 12-year CFP contract expires following the 2025 season.

In March, the CFP and ESPN agreed to a new six-year, $7.8 billion contract that ensures the network will remain the sole media rights holder of the playoff through the 2031-32 season. The playoff format for that new contract, though, is uncertain beyond the guarantee it will continue to be at least a 12-team field.

“We’re going to wait until after the season, after the playoff, the champ game in fact,” said Clark, who was at SEC media days after replacing retired executive director Bill Hancock in June.

The CFP’s management committee, which is comprised of the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, will meet in-person in September, again at its annual meeting at the national championship game in January and during its annual spring meeting in April.

“In the January [meeting], we’re going to start talking about things in earnest,” Clark said. “Then hopefully we get things on the table, we’ve had a chance to look at them, and in the April one we have to start making decisions, if there’s anything to decide.”

Clark, who retired from his post as the superintendent of the Air Force Academy on May 31, said the CFP is willing to make adjustments if needed after watching the new format unfold this fall.

“In the military, you plan, you execute, you step back after execution, you debrief, and then you go again,” he said. “That’s how you get better. But each time you go, you have to go full-in. You can’t go into it thinking, ‘Oh, this is just a test run.’ No it’s not a test run. This is the run.

“This is decades we’re going to be doing this. We have to have the long game in mind on this and really be ready to adjust and make ourselves better over the years.”

… Continue reading story here …

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July 18th

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ESPN’s List of Top Stadiums: Folsom Field tops in the Big 12

… Sort of … No Big 12 stadiums made the Top 25 … CU was first in the Big 12 among the “others receiving votes” … 

From ESPN … The Swamp. The Big House. The Granddaddy of Them All.

Whether you’re a fan of Death Valley (the orange-and-white version or the purple-and-gold), Touchdown Jesus or just playing between the hedges, you understand the unique experience college football’s stadiums provide.

So we asked 14 of our college football writers to rank the best stadiums in the sport. No parameters, no criteria. Writers were asked to submit their top 20 stadiums in order. We then awarded points: 20 for first-place votes, 19 for second and all the way down to 1 point for a stadium voted No. 20.

In all, 42 stadiums received at least one vote, allowing us to build a Top 25 (this is college football, after all) for fans to form a travel bucket list or just venues to try out in EA Sports College Football 25.

And certainly a list to debate (this is college football, after all).

So with apologies (and a nod) to the Kibbie Dome on the campus of the University of Idaho at No. 26, here is ESPN’s Top 25 list of stadiums in college football.

Others receiving votes: P1FCU Kibbie Dome, Idaho Vandals (36); Cotton Bowl (35); Kinnick Stadium, Iowa Hawkeyes (31); Albertsons Stadium, Boise State Broncos (24), Folsom Field, Colorado Buffaloes (21); LaVell Edwards Stadium, BYU Cougars (21); Franklin Field, Penn Quakers (18); Rice-Eccles Stadium, Utah Utes (17); War Memorial Stadium, Wyoming Cowboys (17); Milan Puskar Stadium, West Virginia Mountaineers (16); Boone Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State Cowboys (14); Sun Bowl, UTEP Miners (13); Reser Stadium, Oregon State Beavers (8); Falcon Stadium, Air Force Falcons (7); Martin Stadium, Washington State Cougars (6); Aloha Stadium, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (4); Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina Gamecocks (2).

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July 17th

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Feds: Title IX to apply to revenue sharing

From ESPN … An official for the U.S. Department of Education, the federal enforcer of gender equity in sports, said Title IX rules will apply to future revenue dollars that schools share with college athletes, but the department declined to offer guidance on how schools should distribute the money between men and women to comply with the broad language of the law.

“Schools must provide equal athletic opportunities based on sex, including with respect to benefits, opportunities, publicity, and recruitment, and must not discriminate in the provision of financial aid,” Catherine Lhamon, the assistant secretary for the department’s Office for Civil Rights, said in a written statement to ESPN. “In the new NIL environment, these same principles apply.”

The NCAA and its power conferences agreed in May to settle a trio of antitrust lawsuits, paving the way for colleges to share up to $20 million in revenue per year with athletes starting in 2025. The details of the settlement, which still must be approved by a judge, will not address how schools should handle Title IX requirements, according to multiple sources involved with crafting the agreement.

The department did not answer a question about whether the revenue share dollars would be deemed financial aid, which would be required to be distributed to men and women athletes proportionally based on roster spots. To date, every dollar a school provides directly to its athletes has been intended to cover educational expenses and thus has been considered financial aid.

Without direction from the federal government, athletic departments will have to decide how to allocate the new revenue share money between men and women. Administrators will have to choose between paying a higher portion to men, risking potential lawsuits, or equally sharing revenue with men and women, risking falling behind competitors in football recruiting.

… Continue reading story here …

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Mountain West interest in Washington State/Oregon State waning?

From CBS Sports … The future is uncertain, but the prevailing thought has been the Beavers and Cougars will end up as Mountain West members by 2026 when the new College Football Playoff contract begins.

On the surface, it makes sense for the best Group of Five conference to take in the last two Power Five schools remaining from the realignment chaos.

But after a week of speaking to industry sources during various media days, there seems to be momentum toward the Mountain West cooling on inclusion of Oregon State and Washington State. Such a move has been portrayed as expansion, a merger or a reverse-merger. (Although, it’s hard to envision who reverse-merges with whom.)

The Mountain West has a scheduling agreement with both teams for the 2024 season with a mutual option to continue the partnership in 2025. Might as well make that a Mountain West option because it’s becoming clear the conference doesn’t necessarily need or even want the Beavers and Cougars on a full-time membership basis.

“I don’t know if the Mountain West thinks they need these two schools, honestly,” Gould said. “I would imagine If and when those conversations ever take place it’s going to be based in part on the economics of the decision and what they bring to the table.”

“The intent is to have a decision [2025] before we start this football season,” she added said. “There is so much riding on that in terms of future media rights, recruiting decisions, all those things.”

That’s not to say a Mountain West expansion/merger can’t happen, it’s just that the league has developed a bit of leverage since latest realignment train came to a halt last summer. If that’s the case, where exactly do the Beavs and Cougs end up, if anywhere? They are essentially competing as independents in 2024.

Here are some informed answers after a week of crowdsourcing:

The College Football Playoff has given the Mountain West more certainty and stability. As arguably the strongest Group of Five league top to bottom, it is now virtually assured of a playoff berth each year in the newly expanded 12-team CFP.

Essentially, the conference can count on playing for something big each season. Coaches can sell that to both high school recruits and players in the transfer portal. League favorite Boise State is somewhat used the chase, having finished in the top 11 of the AP Top 25 every year but one from 2006-2011 during its Chris Petersen glory years.

The current membership is lean and mean with San Diego State, Fresno, Boise State and Air Force each winning at least 10 games since 2021. UNLV won nine last year for the first time since 1984.

The Mountain West leads all Group of Five conferences, playing 35 games against Power Four opponents in 2024. Since 2019, the Mountain West has won 19 games against Power Five opponents, only two fewer than the dearly departed Pac-12 in that time span.

“It is really important for us that that the [selection] committee recognize that our coaches are swinging for the fences,” Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said. “Certainly our coaches have to get it done on the field, but c’mon, you got to have credit for that.”

Do Oregon State and Washington State change the math that much?

The addition of Oregon State and Washington State would mean only a 10% to 15% increase in the current Mountain West deal, according to one veteran industry source with experience in television negotiations.

“I don’t think it will be that much,” countered Jim Williams, Emmy-winning sports media consultant. “I would think more like 10 [percent]. Fifteen percent is way too much.”

The Mountain West currently has a deal with CBS Sports and Fox Sports through the 2025 football season that pays it approximately $45 million per year. TNT Sports announced a multi-year deal with the league beginning this season. Those games were termed “leftovers” after CBS and Fox receive the prime selections. Terms were not released.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 15th

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Cormani McLain not endearing himself to new Florida teammates

From BroBible.com … Early reviews out of Gainesville haven’t been positive surrounding transfer Cormani McClain. The defensive back landed at Florida following a move from Colorado this offseason.

That exit was a turbulent one as he beefed with teammates and head coach, Deion Sanders, on his way out the door. Now, it appears he’s become a problem for his new program, too.

He’s reportedly made a habit of showing up late for offseason workouts. That’s resulted in not only personal punishment, but also team-wide discipline.

More from Nick De La Torre of On3 Sports:

I was told that Cormani McClain has been late to most of the requirements (meetings, lift, etc…). The way that it’s handled is sort of like a strike system. Essentially, you get a warning, they you have to do extra run/lift… which he’s started to show up late for as well. They started to make the defense and then the rest of the team do these extra lifts thinking that would get Cormani to show up on time and it hasn’t.

You’re not going to be liked in the locker room if your tardiness/immaturity is causing the rest of your team to have to run.

Goes to what I said about him when Florida took the flier on him. Just immature. Needs to grow up.

That’s not the best way to win over new teammates or earn playing time.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 12th 

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All of the Pac-12 schools (including the Pac-2) to compete for Pac-12 bowl slots

From The Action Network … The 10 schools leaving the Pac-12 will still play in Pac-12 affiliated bowls the next two seasons and not in bowl tie-ins with their new conferences, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told Action Network.

The former Pac-12 schools will not play in bowls with their new conferences for multiple reasons, conference and bowl sources told Action Network. In February, Action Network reported the Pac-12 schools likely would remain affiliated with the Pac-12 bowl lineup.

The contracts between the conferences and the bowls don’t end until after the 2025 season. With only Oregon State and Washington State remaining in the Pac-12 in 2024, the six bowls with Pac-12 ties could not be filled without drawing from other conferences.

Because of the mass exodus of Pac-12 schools, all of the stakeholders involved determined the former Pac-12 programs — known as “Pac-12 legacy schools” — plus Oregon State and Washington State would remain with Pac-12 bowls until the new bowl contracts begin in 2026.

After the 12-team College Football Playoff field is selected, the former Pac-12 bowl-eligible teams will be considered part of the Pac-12’s bowl pool. This will keep Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington (Big Ten), Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah (Big 12), and Cal and Stanford (ACC) from participating in their new conference bowl games until 2026.

The six Pac-12 bowl tie-ins in 2024 and 2025 are the Alamo, Holiday, Las Vegas, Sun, Los Angeles, Independence (in 2024)/ESPN event bowl (in 2025).

The Rose Bowl, now part of the College Football Playoff rotation, is no longer tied to the Pac-12.

How the Pac-12 bowls will be filled remains unknown. Because the teams would be chosen from different conferences, the selection order likely won’t be based on conference records.

The Alamo Bowl has the first pick from the Big 12 and Pac-12 after the College Football Playoff. It will be able to select any Pac-12 legacy school or Oregon State/Washington State, regardless of record as long as the teams are bowl-eligible.

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July 11th

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Court ruling: Student-athletes one step closer to employee status

From ESPN …College athletes whose efforts primarily benefit their schools may qualify as employees deserving of pay under federal wage-and-hour laws, a U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday in a setback to the NCAA.

The court, in the latest challenge to the NCAA’s long-held notion of “amateurism” in college sports, said a test should be developed to differentiate between students who play college sports for fun and those whose effort “crosses the legal line into work.”

“With professional athletes as the clearest indicators, playing sports can certainly constitute compensable work,” U.S. Circuit Judge L. Felipe Restrepo wrote. “Ultimately, the touchstone remains whether the cumulative circumstances of the relationship between the athlete and college or NCAA reveal an economic reality that is that of an employee-employer.”

A colleague, in a concurring opinion, questioned the difficulty of such a process, noting that nearly 200,000 students compete on nearly 6,700 Division I teams. The NCAA had hoped to have the case dismissed, but it will instead go back to the trial judge for fact-finding.

… Continue reading story here …

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Report: CU only “corner school” to receive payment to join Big 12 ($2.5 million)

From USA Today …Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark was asked a question Tuesday about what actually went down behind the scenes one year ago, when he helped convince four schools from the Pac-12 to leave that league and join the Big 12 instead.

He didn’t want to talk about it.

But documents obtained from the schools by USA TODAY Sports – and brief remarks by Yormark here Tuesday – paint a picture of a cutthroat strategy to destabilize the Pac-12 last year to the point that it fell apart to the Big 12’s benefit.

According to the documents, the University of Colorado was offered a $2.5 million signing bonus from the Big 12 Conference last year as an added enticement to get the Buffaloes to leave the Pac-12 and join the Big 12 instead, starting on Aug. 2, 2024.

But here’s what’s curious about that: The other three Pac-12 teams that followed Colorado’s path into the Big 12 a week later apparently didn’t get any signing bonus, according to their Big 12 admission agreements.

Why not?

Was Yormark hoping that by sweetening the pot for Colorado and getting the Buffs to jump first, then the others would do the same out of fear of being left behind in a crumbling Pac-12?

“I’m not going to discuss my negotiating tactics, but listen, we were thrilled that Colorado was the first mover,” Yormark told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday at the Big 12 football media days event. “Ultimately one got us four, you know, when you think about it. Whatever we did in those negotiations seemed to work out pretty well for us.”

How it factors into the realignment timeline

Colorado announced its move to the Big 12 on July 27 last year – the first of eight defections from the Pac-12 last year that all but destroyed it. A week later, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah also announced they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12, but not because of Colorado’s departure by itself. It was because the Pac-12 failed to produce a new media-rights deal that was good enough to convince the remaining members to stay, including Washington and Oregon, who decided to leave for the Big Ten that same week after Colorado’s announcement.

By throwing in a $2.5 million bonus for a “first mover,” Yormark still could have been hoping that the outcome would be that “one got us four,” as he described it, even if the dominoes didn’t fall that way exactly. At the time, the Pac-12 still had 10 members and was trying to decide whether to hold together and even expand.

But like a game of musical chairs, college football realignment is stoked by fear of being left behind without a seat at the table of a stable and viable league. After Colorado said it was leaving, that left the Pac-12 with nine members, adding to the sense of uncertainty. Then the Big Ten pounced on Washington and Oregon, triggering a last rush for the exits. At that point, the Big 12 likely didn’t need to offer bonus money to land Utah, Arizona and Arizona State. There was no attractive alternative.

… Continue reading story here …

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July 10th 

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CBS on Coach Prime: “A man with more ‘College GameDay’ than game”

From CBS Sports … The phenomenon of Deion Sanders started early Wednesday morning at Big 12 Media Days. Before a network interview began in the bowels of Allegiant Stadium, Sanders directed a cameraman.

“Turn the [monitor] around for me and let me see the shot real quick, please” he directed.

Properly satisfied and situated in a sports jacket and hoodie on a 116-degree day (outside), Coach Prime then began using his inside voice to own the day, even if not the conference just yet.

You may not have gotten the memo, but until further notice, the face of the new Big 12 is a bankable brand endorser coming off a 4-8 season.

… Don’t call Deion the face of the best team — or even the best program — in the Big 12. Think of Coach Prime in his own category as the best entertainer in the Big 12. Maybe in all of college football. A man with more “College GameDay” than game. And in his day and age — certainly in this conference — that matters on some level.

Considering everything he brought to the game, Prime had one of the best Septembers in the history of college football last season, going 3-0 before losses to Oregon and USC. The ratings were so good they extended across every demographic and beyond sports.

“I’m judged on a different scale,” Sanders said during his podium availability.

That judgement isn’t going to stop; it may just be beginning. The Hall of Fame player and pitchman might be the best thing the new Big 12 has going for it. Ratings! Hype! Commercials! Entourage! Sunglasses!

“They got the juice, they’re national,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said of CU.

Sanders just might be what the newly expanded, still-being-shaped Big 12 needs: attention. Commissioner Brett Yormark boldly kicked things off Tuesday by saying his league was the third best in FBS – a clear shot at the ACC. He went on to say the league was open for business – again. (Hello, Florida State?).

The two influencers hugged warmly in a hallway before Sanders’ Wednesday appearance on the podium. It can be argued Yormark wouldn’t have been able to pull off his bold Four Corners expansion without Sanders’s brand — and the coach’s desire to get back into Texas recruiting.

Just don’t zoom in on the football. Not quite yet. Coach Prime’s coaching chops at this level are still under construction. That’s because Colorado enters 2024 on a six-game losing streak. Going 27-6 at FCS Jackson State is one thing, resurrecting a moribund Power Five is another. Sanders is at a school that will tolerate a slow climb to success because, well, he’s Deion. That soothes things when the program claims just one winning non-COVID season since 2004.

“My wins are totally different than your wins,” Sanders told one media member. “Your wins are just judged on football … The expectation is greater. But it’s not just football. It’s been like that all my life. I’ve always had a greater expectation for myself.”

But then someone finally asked the question that needed to be asked: Why is Colorado going to be better in 2024? Prime said the offensive line is improved, the defensive line coaches are demanding, the running backs are being led by a former walk-on, special teams, etc. He mentioned a record team grade-point average and 150 years worth of NFL experience on the staff that now includes fellow Hall of Famer Warren Sapp as a graduate assistant.

But it shouldn’t be surprising. This is still America, where flash sometimes triumphs over substance.

… Continue reading story here …

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Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark: “We will be the deepest conference in America and every week will matter”

From the transcript of Brett Yormark’s press conference at the Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas …

This is our first Media Day as a 16-team league. There has never been a better time than right now to be part of the Big 12.

We are truly a national conference, in ten states, four time zones. And all eyes are now on the Big 12 for all the right reasons, and I think it’s safe to say we’re more relevant now than ever before.

Before I look forward, I’d like to recap where we’ve been for the last 12 months. Since our last Football Media Days, we added the four corners and solidified ourselves as one of the top three conferences in America. All four schools are here with us today, and you will hear from them over the next few days.

I’m incredibly excited about what they bring to our league. Last season, Big 12 football fans packed the stadiums. Six Big 12 teams averaged 100 percent in home capacity. All schools average over 88 percent capacity.

…

So as you can tell, 2024-25 will be a very exciting year for the Big 12. On the football front, we will be the deepest conference in America. Every week will matter. I’m going to say that one more time. We will be the deepest conference in America and every week will matter.

We have star power in parity. We boast some of the top players and coaches in the game. November will be incredibly exciting, and we will brand it as a race to the championship.

Beyond football, the best conference in basketball got better. Our Olympic sports got stronger, adding four programs with an incredible history of excellence. We recently made some changes across our competition team.

…

Our value creation must be done in a strategic way, and that value creation starts with ESPN and Fox. We are taking an innovative approach exploring new TV windows and giving fans more access to our programming.

As we build our brand, we will continue to build our business. We will not stumble into this new era following settlement. In fact, we will be aggressive and very proactive.

We will push at the NCAA level. In fact, I love what they recently did with on-field logos. I’ve been very vocal with the NCAA to push for making commercial patches permissible for officials’ uniforms, similar to what the NBA has done. I’ve spoken to our football officials, and they are in favor of it, and I’m optimistic that will happen soon.

From a conference perspective, we are exploring all options. Two years later, I guess you could say we’re still open for business. Naming rights is one, private equity is another.

We are looking to expand our PSL program into our football championship game for 2025. We will be infusing more LED signage across our marquee championship events, creating new visible signage and revenue streams for our member institutions.

…

We’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time, and as commissioner, I will continue to create value for our members in order for them to be as competitive as possible.

This is no time to press pause. We must continue to be bold and aggressive as an industry. The Big 12 will always be ambitious because that’s who we are. I know there’s a lot of pressure on a lot of people right now, but I will leave you with this: Pressure is a privilege.

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July 9th

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No suspension for Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon: “A business decision”

From Jenni Carlson’s Beyond the Box Score … Mike Gundy got the news about Ollie Gordon’s arrest while he was at the lake.

Being away from campus gave the Oklahoma State football coach a chance to think a lot about what he wanted to do about the Cowboy tailback. Suspend him? If so, how many games? If not, why not?

Gundy’s decision became public Tuesday during Big 12 football media days: Gordon will not be suspended.

Not suspending Gordon runs contrary to what Gundy has done in the past. He has kept players out of action for various off-field transgressions. When Justin Blackmon got a DUI back in 2010, for example, Gundy suspended him for a game.

But college football is different today than it has ever been.

“We’re in a business world now,” Gundy told a small group of Oklahoma-based media before his formal press conference Tuesday. “It’s a different time with college athletes, different than it used to be.”

Gundy thinks of his players as employees. He knows universities and their athletic departments are remiss to use that term for athletes, but they are making significant amounts of money.

“It’s more of a business setting than it has ever been,” Gundy said. “So (Gordon) has a responsibility to everybody else that’s involved, and in my opinion, (not suspending him is) what best for him and for our organization moving forward.”

In other words, Gundy made a business decision.

… Could it backfire?

Sure.

But Gundy knows that.

“I said, ‘Well, what I need to know is that you understand how serious this situation is and how lucky you are and that you’re going to work as hard as you can to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,’” Gundy said. “Now, there’s no guarantee in any of this.”

Gordon has promised.

Gundy has believed.

We’ll all get to see if this business decision was a good one

… Read full story here …

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Big 12 set to launch 24/7 audio station via partnership with TuneIn

From SportsBusinessJournal.com … The Big 12 is adding a new audio partner — and another avenue for content.

The league is set to launch a 24/7 audio station via a partnership with TuneIn, which will become the new audio home of the Big 12. Terms of the deal were not immediately available, but an official announcement is expected today.

The Big 12 was up for renewal with SiriusXM, but tabbed TuneIn instead. A source with knowledge of the discussions told SBJ that country music icon Garth Brooks helped facilitate the partnership in part through his involvement with TuneIn and his work as a member of the Big 12 Business Advisory Board.

Sponsorships for programming will be sold in a joint effort between the Big 12 and TuneIn. The 24/7 audio network will also be free to listen to, while TuneIn Premium will house live game commentary for football and men’s and women’s basketball from all Big 12 schools.

… Continue reading story here …

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Utah agrees to play Miami in Las Vegas

From CBS Sports … Miami and Utah are scheduled to meet for the first time ever in the 2027 Vegas Kickoff Classic at Allegiant Stadium, the schools announced. The matchup is set for Labor Day weekend, which is traditionally the first full slate of games on the college football calendar.

This will be the third official Vegas Kickoff Classic. BYU beat Arizona in the inaugural event to open the 2021 season, while LSU and USC are set to meet for the first time in 40 years on Sept. 1, 2024.

“This is a tremendous showcase for our football program and our university to open the 2027 season on a national stage in the Vegas Kickoff Classic,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. “We are excited for this opportunity to match up against the Miami Hurricanes, and we extend our thanks to the Las Vegas Bowl and ESPN Events for the invitation. It is a testament to our program and our great fans to participate in this type of event, and when the time comes, we will paint Allegiant Stadium red once again.”

As Harlan alluded to, Utah is familiar with both Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium. The Utes capped a 7-5 2023 regular season with a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl against Northwestern. Utah also won two consecutive Pac-12 titles in Allegiant Stadium from 2021-22, downing Oregon and USC, respectively.

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July 8th 

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Big 12 Media Days (Tuesday and Wednesday): What to Watch For

From CBS Sports … College football’s talking season is upon us. With the 2024 season right around the corner, various Big 12 coaches and athletes are set to descend upon Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium from July 9-10 to kick off this year’s conference media days slate. The conference already released its preseason all-conference team as well as its projected order of finish.

For a second consecutive season, a robust set of newcomers will take center stage. The Big 12 benefited from the Pac-12’s dissolution by welcoming Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado to its ranks. Preseason favorite Utah highlights the schools speaking on Tuesday, while Deion Sanders will make his much-anticipated first official appearance as a Big 12 coach to open up the proceedings on Wednesday.

The Big 12 does have to contend with its own notable departures as this will be the first media days slate without Texas or Oklahoma since the conference’s inception. There are several schools in contention to fill the power vacuum left by those two programs, who combined to win seven of the last nine conference titles.

Adding extra heat to the conference race — aside from the record, 120-degree temps hitting Sin City this week — is the fact that whoever emerges as the eventual winner locks down an automatic spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Suffice to say, there are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on this week as the Big 12 Media Days unfold.

Deion makes his debut 

Colorado’s return to the Big 12 comes with much fanfare thanks to the presence of coach Deion Sanders, one of college football’s most electric — and enigmatic — personalities. He thrives in a media setting and certainly isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind, but what’s interesting about this week is it’s Sanders’ first power-conference media days. Sanders missed the 2023 Pac-12 Media Days recovering from surgery and the year before was at Jackson State. Sanders figures to be swarmed by reporters and how he commands the room during the more raucous breakout sessions — where national media will be trying their best to get the quote of the week — will be good for a social clip or two.

The Buffaloes certainly have plenty to tout amid their conference move. Two-way star Travis Hunter is perhaps the best player in college football. He can excel as both a wide receiver and defensive back, was named the preseason Defensive Player of the Year while quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, earned a spot on the All-Big 12 team.

In total, the Buffaloes had three players on the All-Big 12 team, an impressive mark for a conference newcomer. Whether that lends itself to improvement on 2023’s 4-8 record remains to be seen.

Utah facing big expectations 

Utah is expected to hit the ground running once the 2024 season begins. In fact, the Utes are the outright favorite to win the Big 12 in their first year with the conference.

They received 20 first-place votes in the Big 12 media poll and took the top spot with 906 total points. It’s not hard to see why voters would have so much faith in Utah. Coach Kyle Whittingham led his team to two Pac-12 titles in the past three years and posted an eight-win season in 2023 despite missing quarterback Cam Rising for the entire year.

Rising is back for another season and profiles as one of the Big 12’s top signal callers. He has an underrated group of skill talent players surrounding him, including All-Big 12 tight end Brant Kuithe, and an offensive line that returns three starters. The defense has a ton of production back as well and looks particularly stacked in the front seven.

… Continue reading story here …

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