Big 12 Notes

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Big 12 Notes – Spring Practices

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March 18th

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CU v. Syracuse Spring Game? NCAA won’t allow it

From ESPN … Colorado coach Deion Sanders wants the NCAA to consider borrowing from the NFL model and allow programs to practice and scrimmage against another team during the spring.

“I would actually like to play the spring game against another team, in the spring. That’s what I’m trying to do right now,” Sanders said Monday after announcing that the Buffaloes’ spring game at Folsom Field on April 19 will be televised (ESPN2, 4:30 p.m. ET).

“I would like to style it like the pros. I’d like to go against someone [in practice] for a few days, and then you have the spring game. I think the public would be satisfied with that tremendously. I think it’s a tremendous idea. I’ve told those personnel, who should understand that, that it’s a tremendous idea.”

It didn’t take long for Sanders to find an interested party. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown on Monday posted to social media platform X, offering for the Orange to “come to Boulder for 3 days.”

Under current NCAA bylaws, football teams cannot play against another school in the spring, an NCAA spokesperson told ESPN on Monday.

During the summer, NFL teams often conduct joint practices with another team for a week leading up to an exhibition game between the two sides. In college, teams practice against themselves leading up to an intrasquad scrimmage. For larger programs, those exhibition games would be played in front of large crowds.

Of late, however, many of these spring games are being adjusted into something completely different — such as a skills competition format — or canceled altogether.

Nebraska, Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma and USC are among programs ending traditions this spring.

“The way the trend is going, is you never know if this is going to be the last spring game,” said the 57-year-old Sanders, who is entering his third season at Colorado. “Now, I don’t believe in that, and I don’t really want to condone that. … To have it competitive, and to play against your own guys, it can get kind of monotonous, and you really can’t tell the level of your guys.”

… Read full story here …

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March 16th

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Big 12 Commissioner opposed to automatic qualifiers: “I don’t want an artificial championship”

From On3Sports … In the current Playoff model, which was expanded in 2024 for the first time as a 12-team Playoff, the top five ranked conference champions make the field. The top four of those champions get the first four seeds and a bye week. The rest of the field is filled in by at-large bids and the final conference champion in the order the fall in the selection committee rankings. In it, there were four Big Ten teams, three SEC teams, two ACC teams, and one Big 12 team to make it to the Playoff last season.

The major conversation has been structured around a Playoff where the size would jump from 12 to 16 teams. There would be four SEC teams and Four Big Ten teams that would automatically qualify for the Playoff. Then, two Big 12 and two ACC schools would get those automatic bids. One Group of Five school would qualify, and then the rest of the field would be at-large.

“As we think about beyond, the one guiding principle for me and I think for the room is what’s in the best interest of college football? That’s what everyone should be focused on,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said. “We’re going to continue to vet out what that means and hopefully get to a great place in the next couple of months.”

For his part, Yormark is happy with the current 12-team format. However, he’s not entirely against changing the playoff format. What he’s against is automatic qualifiers creating, what he described as, an artificial championship.

“I like the 12-team format. I love it,” Yormark said. “Whether we go to 14 or expand the field, I don’t know, and obviously it’ll be a decision amongst the management committee. As it relates to the AQs, and I’ve been on the record saying this, I don’t want an artificial championship. I want people to earn their way in. I don’t want it being predetermined. That being said, I’m open to discussion. I want to weigh the pros and cons of lots of different scenarios. Then, as a collective group, make a decision on what’s right for college football.”

… Continue reading story here …

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March 15th

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Big 12 quarterback rooms: How does CU’s lineup stack up?

From The Athletic … College coaches will talk a lot about their quarterback situations over the next few months, but their actions mean a lot more. We are here to sift through the coachspeak to examine what programs have actually told us about their quarterbacks this offseason through their work (or lack thereof) in the transfer portal.

Big 12

Arizona: With a new offensive coordinator (Seth Doege) and some shrewd transfer additions at the skill positions, the directive is apparent: get Noah Fifita back to his 2023 form after a disappointing 2024 season.

Arizona State: Cam Skattebo was the heart and soul of Arizona State’s offense in 2024. Sam Leavitt will have to drive the bus this season.

BYU: Jake Retzlaff led BYU to 11 wins last season and is entrenched as the starter for a team with Big 12 title hopes.

Baylor: Adding Auburn transfer Walker White — the No. 8 QB in the Class of 2024 — provides intriguing depth for Sawyer Robertson, who enjoyed a breakout 2024 season and was especially effective in the second half of the year.

Cincinnati: Brendan Sorsby posted decent numbers last season, but the Bearcats didn’t make enough big plays in the passing game. The staff tried to add more dynamic playmakers to the supporting cast through the portal.

Colorado: The Buffaloes needed a bridge quarterback to transition from Shedeur Sanders to blue-chip 2025 signee Julian Lewis. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter is a really talented player who should effectively fill that role.

Houston: Conner Weigman hasn’t played to the five-star ranking he had as a recruit and was benched at Texas A&M last season, but coach Willie Fritz must believe he can unlock some of that potential.

Iowa State: Nothing much to say here either because Rocco Becht is back after he took yet another step forward in 2024 and led the Cyclones to 11 wins (the first double-digit win season in program history) and the Big 12 Championship Game.

Kansas: Jalon Daniels’ health is always an important factor since he’s missed a good chunk of time over the years. He’s limited this spring after undergoing knee surgery. But he started all 12 games in 2024 and his play declined, so new offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski has to get Daniels back on track.

Kansas State: Avery Johnson is an intriguing talent, but he’s still developing as an all-around quarterback. His leading receiver returns, and the Wildcats added three transfer receivers. We’ll see if Johnson can elevate his play with the additions and another year in the offense.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys quarterbacks struggled last year. They brought back three players from that group, but if the staff really believed in any of them as a starter, it probably wouldn’t have brought in transfer Hauss Hejny. The former four-star recruit seems like the front-runner based on the fact that he came from TCU with new offensive coordinator Doug Meacham.

TCU: Josh Hoover is set as the starter after passing for 3,949 yards and 27 touchdowns during an impressive 2024 season. Keeping Ken Seals as a veteran backup who has started several games throughout his career was also a positive.

Texas Tech: Starter Behren Morton returns, and the Red Raiders went all-in during the December transfer cycle. So the pressure is on Morton, coach Joey McGuire and the rest of the program to deliver a conference championship.

UCF: Scott Frost appears ready to tie his hopes to Indiana transfer Tayven Jackson, who played well in spot duty for the Hoosiers last season. FAU transfer Cam Fancher will be in the mix too.

Utah: The Utes wanted to move past the constant uncertainty with Cam Rising’s availability and now have an exciting new quarterback/coordinator combination from New Mexico with transfer Devon Dampier and play caller Jason Beck.

West Virginia: Nicco Marchiol has started a few games for the Mountaineers the past two seasons but has never received the full-time starting nod. He’ll have an opportunity to earn it this offseason but will have to hold off Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson and Charlotte transfer Max Brown.

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March 14th

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Big 12 considering going back to divisions

From CBS Sports … The Big 12 will continue to grow. That is, if you believe the possibilities going forward regarding automatic qualifiers in the College Football Playoff.

That’s a reference to possibly more Big 12 games, not more Big 12 teams as the format and structure of the CFP begin to take shape for the 2026 season when the new six-year deal with ESPN begins.

Some are almost resigned to the fact there will be automatic qualifiers in the field at the urging of the Big Ten and SEC. Their proposed model of 4-4-2-2-1-1 means four AQs each for the Big Ten and SEC, two each for the ACC and Big 12, one at-large spot and one for the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion.

After making the rounds this week at the Big 12 Tournament, it’s clear the conference has begun to consider its place in that new world. Commissioner Brett Yormark has not publicly committed to the AQ model for his conference, but it’s fair to say every league has at least considered the concept of play-in games for those AQ spots.

“Let me ask you something,” Yormark replied to a questioner Tuesday at a tournament kickoff press conference, “do you think I’m shy or no?”

CBS Sports reported on the details of play-in games in December. While the possibilities are preliminary — and almost endless — at this point, there are at least two models to consider to determine those two Big 12 automatic qualifiers.

1) The top four regular-season teams qualify with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 4 seed and No. 2 playing No. 3. The two winners on that championship weekend in December would advance to the CFP.

Using last year’s standings, these would be the matchups:

• No. 1 Arizona State vs. No. 4 Colorado
• No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 3 BYU

2) The 16-team league could split into two divisions, looking a lot like the old Big 12. One possibility is the two first-place teams in each division would qualify along with the teams with next two best records. (Don’t even start with tiebreakers in that scenario).

Let’s take it a step further and dream up the composition of those two divisions based on geography …

Big 12 West

• Arizona State
• Arizona
• BYU
• Utah
• Texas Tech
• Colorado
• TCU
• Houston

Big 12 East

• Baylor
• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Kansas State
• UCF
• Cincinnati
• Oklahoma State
• West Virginia

Again, based on last year’s standings the matchups would go the same way:

• Arizona State vs. Colorado
• Iowa State vs. BYU

In that setting, each team would play a seven-team, round-robin schedule against the teams in its division. There would be two crossover games. You’re way ahead of things in the scenario above if you’ve already noticed three of the four play-in teams would come from the West division.

… Continue reading story here …

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March 13th

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Power Four conferences trying to set guardrails for dealing with post-House settlement payouts

From The Athletic … A new system outside the NCAA to regulate and enforce the rules that will take effect when colleges can begin making direct payments to athletes is being built by the power conferences as they await — and anticipate — final approval of a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement.

In a joint statement released Wednesday, the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC and NCAA acknowledged the work of the Settlement Implementation Committee, a group of athletic directors and conference legal counsels that has met regularly over the past several months.

As part of an agreement to settle three antitrust lawsuits, the conferences and NCAA agreed to allow schools to share revenue with their athletes, starting with up to about $20.5 million in the 2025-26 school year.

The new regulatory body stands to shift more of the oversight and control of college sports away from the NCAA and to the conferences that are building it.

The so-called House settlement (from the House v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit at its center) still needs final approval from the federal judge overseeing the case. A hearing is set for April 7, the day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament championship, when the judge will hear from objectors to the settlement. Final approval could come soon after that hearing.

But with only a few months to transform major college sports to accommodate a more professional approach to compensation, the conferences are “rapidly preparing to implement a new model for the future of college sports focused on stability and fairness,” the statement said.

The conferences said the committee is working on four areas of implementation:

• How schools that opt in to the terms of the settlement will report what they are spending on revenue-sharing payments. LBi Software, which works with professional sports leagues such as MLB and the NBA, has been retained to develop a cap management system.
• Assessing the legitimacy of third-party name, image and likeness deals between college athletes and companies and organizations such as NIL collectives. The conferences are working with accounting giant Deloitte to evaluate whether deals are for “valid business purposes.” Under the settlement, all deals between athletes and third parties of $600 or more will be evaluated.
• Drafting new rules and clarifying existing ones related to the settlement, such as parameters for the roster limits that will replace scholarship limits on a sport-by-sport basis.
• Creating a new entity to enforce rules, investigate potential violations and dole out penalties when necessary.

The NCAA will still oversee eligibility rules related to academics, playing rules and championship events, though a new model of governance for the association is also being worked on that could result in more autonomy for the current Power 4: the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.

… Continue reading story here …

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March 12th 

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ESPN: Next Indiana or Arizona State? Teams poised for CFP breakthrough includes Colorado

From ESPN … The 2024 season brought plenty of surprises, as unexpected teams and players populated the races for conference titles, national awards and the first 12-team College Football Playoff field. But the biggest stunner in the sport was the Indiana Hoosiers.

The program with the most losses in FBS history reached 10 wins for the first time — after a 10-0 start, no less — and made the CFP before programs like USC, Nebraska, Florida and Miami did. When the CFP kicked off on a cold night at Notre Dame Stadium, the Hoosiers were there, taking the field.

The CFP included other newcomers like Arizona State and SMU, but none carried the same shock value as Indiana.

As we set out to find the next potential Indiana for the 2025 season, it’s important to emphasize that an exact replica is unlikely. What coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers accomplished this past fall is extremely difficult, even in the transfer portal era.

But there are certain teams that would generate a similar reaction if they made the CFP, given their recent history.

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Texas Tech

2024 record: 8-5

Record during four-team CFP era: 57-66 (.463)

Last conference title: 1994 (Southwest Conference)

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Georgia Tech

2024 record: 7-6

Record during four-team CFP era: 56-66 (.459)

Last conference title: 2009

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Iowa State

2024 record: 11-3

Record during four-team CFP era: 58-67 (.464)

Last conference title: 1912 (MVIAA)

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Colorado

2024 record: 9-4

Record during four-team CFP era: 44-73 (.376)

Last conference title: 2001

Case to be next Indiana: Colorado would not sneak up on the CFP field like Indiana did this past season. Since Deion Sanders arrived on campus as coach in late 2022, he has raised the Buff’s profile. The team saw its wins total more than double from Sanders’ first season to his second and often looked like the Big 12’s most talented roster this past fall. Until a late-season loss at Kansas, the Buffs were a popular pick to make the CFP. Sanders has made the playoff his top goal as he begins phase 2 as CU coach, without his sons Shedeur and Shilo on the team, and without two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Colorado’s ability to replace them and others will largely determine whether it can push for a championship in the Big 12, where Arizona State’s run in 2024 showed that teams can close the CFP gap quickly. Improving the line-of-scrimmage play remains a priority in Boulder, and Colorado will need more run-pass balance on offense with Shedeur Sanders and Hunter both departing. There will be a fascinating quarterback battle between Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis, ESPN’s No. 12 recruit in the 2025 class. Colorado brings in another big group of transfers, including defensive linemen Jehiem Oatis (Alabama) and Tavian Coleman (Texas State), wide receiver Joseph Williams (Tulsa) and safety Tawfiq Byard (South Florida).

A Buffs run to the CFP would be the obvious next step after the 2024 season, but it would also represent an incredible rise. Not even Indiana had bottomed out recently like Colorado did in 2022, when the team finished 1-11 and was outscored 534-185. Other than 2016, when Colorado finished No. 10 in the final CFP standings and reached the Pac-12 title game, the program has been outside the national spotlight for the better part of the past 20 years. The team hasn’t finished a season inside the AP top-15 since 2001, its last conference title.

… Read full story here …

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March 6th

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Which two Big 12 teams are best set up to dominate for the next decade? 

From CBS Sports … Welcome to Marcello’s Mailbag, where college football is always at the top of the pile. This is a safe space to share opinions and ask questions without fear or ridicule. No question is dumb, though you may believe there are dumb answers. Luckily, I’m willing to look like a jester, but more often than not, I’ll fill your mind with the information you need to understand the most magical sport in the world.

If you had to pick two Big 12 teams best set up to dominate the conference for the next decade, who would they be? 

I don’t believe a single team or two will dominate the Big 12 over the next several years. Parity will define this conference, which has quickly become the most exciting in the sport. Close games and random upsets injected some much-needed excitement into the season, and the unpredictability led to the emergence of newbie Arizona State.

I have long said that Oklahoma State and TCU are best equipped to capitalize in this new era because of their world-class facilities and booster support. Yet the Cowboys faceplanted last season, and Mike Gundy had to rework his contract to remain the head coach.

I’ll say this: Texas Tech is my best bet to emerge as a contender, though I’m still counting on parity in the league. The Red Raiders’ facilities are fantastic, and a billionaire booster leads the NIL collective, which helped land the nation’s No. 3 portal class.

… Read full story here …

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March 4th 

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Does ACC settlement put an expiration date (2030?) on the conference?

From CBS Sports … Tuesday’s news that the ACC and member schools Clemson and Florida State dropped their lawsuits against each other was both anticipated and yet one of the more dramatic reversals in recent memory.

There was a time not long ago that it felt like a matter of when, not if, Florida State and Clemson would leave the ACC. The public legal battle between the conference and its two schools had cast a pall over everything the ACC did, forcing commissioner Jim Phillips to address it at seemingly every major conference event.

Florida State, Clemson and the rest of the ACC schools voting Tuesday to end the four lawsuits and introduce a new revenue distribution system is only one piece of the puzzle, however.

There are a lot of potential ramifications of this decision, both for the conference in the short term as well as future realignment.

What does this mean for the ACC now?

In the short term, at least, this is a win for all involved. The ACC no longer has to deal with the negative headlines of two of its premier brands suing it, with one even accusing it of pushing the conference to its brink. The lawsuits threatened to expose sensitive information and, even more impactful, could have led to easy exits for multiple ACC schools if Florida State and Clemson had won the crux of their arguments.

For the schools, the revamped revenue distribution will put greater emphasis on television ratings. Florida State athletic director Michael Alford introduced a similar concept two years ago, and if FSU and Clemson receive a bigger cut moving forward, as expected, it can help placate the concerns driving the lawsuits which were that the conference’s annual payout was falling way behind that of the Big Ten and SEC. It could lead to a reported extra $15 million annually for the conference’s top schools, a not insignificant amount especially in light of the expected $20 million revenue share which should begin this summer as a result of the House v. NCAA settlement.

For smaller ACC schools, it’ll be a financial hit at an unfortunate time, but the unequal revenue sharing should provide stability for at least a few years. No one wants to end up like the Pac-12 did.

In exchange for dropping their lawsuits, the ACC agreed to put a number on how much it’d cost to leave the conference — $165 million to start, according to Clemson’s board presentation — with that number descending to $75 million in 2030. If, for instance, the Big Ten would like to add Florida State and Clemson ahead of its next TV deal, the two schools should now know exactly what it would cost to leave the ACC. That brings clarity and yet also future concern.

This move could be the glue that keeps the ACC together for a long time. Or it could be a short-term fix to buy everyone some more time and build out additional contingency plans should schools leave the conference. Time will tell.

… Read full story here …

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March 3rd

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FSU; Clemson settle lawsuits with ACC

From ESPN … Florida State and Clemson will vote Tuesday on an agreement that would ultimately result in the settlement of four ongoing lawsuits between the schools and the ACC and a new revenue-distribution strategy that would solidify the conference’s membership for the near future, sources told ESPN on Monday.

The ACC Board of Directors is scheduled to hold a call Tuesday to go over the settlement terms. In addition, Florida State has called a board meeting to present the terms at noon ET Tuesday, and Clemson plans to do the same. All three boards must agree to the settlement for it to move forward, but sources throughout the league expect a deal to be reached.

According to sources, the settlement includes two key objectives: Establishing a new revenue-distribution model based on viewership and a change in the financial penalties for exiting the league’s grant of rights prior to its conclusion in June 2036.

This new revenue-distribution model — or “brand initiative” — is based on a five-year rolling average of TV ratings, though some logistics of this formula remain tricky, including how to properly average games on the unrated ACC Network or other subscription channels. The brand initiative will be funded through a split in the league’s TV revenue, with 40% distributed evenly among the 14 longstanding members and 60% going toward the brand initiative and distributed based on TV ratings.

Top earners are expected to net an additional $15 million or more, according to sources, while some schools will see a net deduction in annual payout of up to about $7 million annually, an acceptable loss, according to several administrators at schools likely to be impacted, in exchange for some near-term stability.

The brand initiative is expected to begin for the upcoming fiscal year.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 28th

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Big 12 in line to sign a capital partner?

From SportsBusinessJournal … Big 12 presidents and athletic directors Thursday “reviewed bids from three finalists in the league’s pursuit of a capital partner,” according to sources. Firms are “proposing to infuse millions to schools.” RedBird Capital has “emerged as the leader.” A decision is “expected in the coming weeks” (X, 2/27).

This is “a *capital* proposal, not equity.” A report last summer about the Big 12’s pursuit of a private equity deal with CVC Capital Partners was “premature.” That deal “never reached the final stage because of hangups.” Sources said that CVC is “not part of the group of finalists” (X, 2/27).

The Big 12 has been “aggressive in its push for independent funding for schools in the league.” The “eventual venture capital partnership is projected to infuse millions of dollars for schools in the league” (SI, 2/27).

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