Big 12 Notes

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Big 12 Notes – Spring and Summer

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June 5th

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Where is CU’s Sugar Daddy? Virginia Tech receives $75 million donation

From ESPN … Virginia Tech has received a historic $75 million donation, with the majority directed toward athletics, the school announced Thursday.

The record donation, made anonymously by a four-generation Virginia Tech family, is set to go toward multiple initiatives — including the fundraising portion of the recently approved $229 million investment in athletics over the next four years.

In addition, the donation includes unrestricted funds to be used at the discretion of the athletics director, and additional support through Hokie Ventures, a nonprofit corporation approved earlier this week as a way for Virginia Tech to support revenue generation and strategic investment.

Virginia Tech has made it a priority to boost its investment and support of football — including the hire of James Franklin last November. In December, Virginia Tech received an anonymous $20 million donation toward athletics, which had been its largest to date until now.

The Hokies have not won 10 games in a season since 2016 and have increased their investment to try and get their football program back to national prominence during a rapidly changing time in collegiate athletics.

“Football is the front porch of the University, and sustained investment is critical to competing for championships at the highest level,” Franklin said in a statement. “This generosity provides the resources necessary to recruit, develop and support elite student-athletes while positioning Virginia Tech Football for long-term success.”

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June 3rd

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ACC calls off Virginia/North Carolina State game in Brazil

From ESPN … The NC State-Virginia football game set to take place in Brazil as the first college football game played in South America is being relocated to the Cavaliers’ home field after organizers determined the game could not be conducted in Rio de Janeiro.

Wednesday’s announcement came less than three months before the Wolfpack and Cavaliers were set to open the season in Rio.

The Atlantic Coast Conference said in a news release that the change comes after “extensive review with operational partners and international stakeholders,” with event organizer Athlete Advantage recently informing the league and schools that the event couldn’t move forward as planned in Brazil.

The game was set to take place Aug. 29, in Week 0 on the college football calendar. The league and schools are working with TV partner ESPN and the NCAA to keep the game on the scheduled date.

The teams had originally agreed to a home-and-home nonconference series that wouldn’t count in the ACC standings since games were added outside the league scheduling model. Longtime league members from neighboring states don’t meet as often because of years of expansion amid waves of national conference realignment.

NC State won last year’s first matchup in that home-and-home plan. The Rio game was set to replace Virginia’s home game in Charlottesville, though, as part of the league slate as the ACC moves to a nine-game schedule. Now it will be held at Scott Stadium in the more traditional backdrop.

Fans who purchased tickets or travel packages for the event through the official College Football Brasil website will receive refunds.

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June 2nd

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Big 12 backing 24-team playoff: “We need to roll up our sleeves, do the work, understand the economics on it”

From The Athletic … The Big 12 head coaches unanimously lent their support for a 24-team Playoff in an informal poll, following similar stances from the ACC and Big Ten. If the final 2025 CFP rankings had been used to fill out a 24-team field, the Big 12 would’ve gotten five teams in, while the SEC would’ve had seven.

No team has been burned by the 12-team field more than BYU, which ranked 12th in the final CFP rankings last year and 17th in 2024, missing the field both times. Some CFP metrics last season had BYU higher than the committee’s rankings, according to people who saw the data. But while SEC coaches grilled CFP officials about metrics and rankings during their league meetings in Florida, the cool and calm Sitake was nicer to them in Texas. He just wants a format that can settle it on the field.

“Maybe I should care more about that stuff, but I think you prove it on the field,” Sitake said. “It’s a really difficult job to do, to be a committee and try to figure out what the standard is. … So I just think that (a 24-team Playoff) gives more opportunities for teams to play, and it gives a little bit more meaning to all the games that are being played. Everybody has a shot.”

Playoff expansion decisions rest solely with the Big Ten and SEC. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark supports a 24-team field, and he’s confident it will grow the TV revenue pie despite the loss of conference championship games.

But almost everything around the 24-team CFP is hypothetical, and multiple athletic directors told The Athletic they didn’t have enough information to know the right move. The CFP’s media consultants are still working to gather those TV revenue estimates, which could be presented to commissioners at their June meeting. Everything from the money to the schedule to the impact on the regular season hasn’t been studied in-depth yet, which is why SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said last week his league likely wouldn’t make a decision until the fall.

“We need to roll up our sleeves, do the work, understand the economics on it,” Yormark said. “I plan to be with the CFP and the management committee next month, and I think that’s when the work will begin.”

… Continue reading story here …

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June 1st

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Two-hour hearing on Brendan Sorsby’s injunction request takes place in Lubbock

From ESPN … The fate of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s college eligibility will be decided in the near future after a two-hour hearing in Lubbock County District Court on Monday.

Attorneys for Sorsby are seeking a temporary injunction permitting him to play in 2026 after the NCAA ruled him ineligible and denied his request for reinstatement after he placed thousands of bets on college and professional sports, including on his own team, during his career.

Jeffrey Kessler, Sorsby’s lead attorney, argued in the hearing that the NCAA ignored its own rules by not considering Sorsby’s wellbeing in its decision, describing his gambling history as a mental health and addiction issue that the NCAA is required to support and not punish.

NCAA attorney Taylor Askew said that the organization did consider Sorsby’s mental health in its process of deeming him permanently ineligible and that those challenges do not excuse his gambling or the consequences of his actions.

Sorsby wagered approximately $90,000 over four years and continued to gamble on professional sports this year after transferring from Cincinnati to Texas Tech, according to a four-page list of stipulated facts Sorsby and Texas Tech submitted to the NCAA acknowledging his actions.

Sorsby used accounts registered in his name, a family member’s name and friends’ names to place the impermissible wagers via Hard Rock Bet, FanDuel, Underdog and PrizePicks accounts. Sorsby transferred more than $60,000 to two friends to cover bets made on his behalf.

Sorsby placed at least 40 bets involving Indiana football totaling more than $1,400 while he was a quarterback for the Hoosiers in 2022 and 2023. NCAA rules state that student-athletes wagering on their own team face permanent loss of eligibility. The bets ranged from less than $1 to $114 and were primarily parlays. Sorsby also placed at least 50 bets on Indiana men’s basketball and approximately 300 bets on college football games during his two years at the school.

In total, Sorsby has acknowledged placing at least 2,900 bets totaling more than $30,000 while at Indiana and at least 165 bets totaling at least $38,000 while at Cincinnati. Including legs of parlay bets, he made more than 9,000 total wagers. He also sent approximately $5,000 to friends to place bets on pro sports on his behalf after enrolling at Texas Tech.

If the judge clears the way for Sorsby to play this season, Askew said, the NCAA would become the first sports league in America that allows athletes to bet on its own contests without punishment.

Askew also questioned Kessler’s argument that Sorsby will suffer irreparable harm if he’s not allowed to play for Texas Tech, noting Sorsby has already received the benefit for additional years of competition because the NCAA wasn’t alerted to his gambling earlier.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 30th

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Utah state auditor: Proposed private equity deal for Utes carries with it “significant risks”

From the Salt Lake City Tribune … The state auditor has concerns about the University of Utah’s planned private-equity partnership, saying that the money it brings in won’t offset expenses for long unless other changes are made.

In a letter sent to the U.’s board of trustees on May 19, Utah Auditor Tina Cannon outlined what she sees as “significant risks” with the school’s pending deal with Otro Capital.

The private-equity plan — which was announced in December and has yet to be finalized — is expected to infuse hundreds of millions into the U.’s athletic department.

But the auditor’s letter said unless the deal is accompanied “by substantial growth in operating income or meaningful cost-containment measures,” the millions provided to the U. will be “inevitably depleted,” leaving Utah’s long-term financial issues “unresolved.”

“There is currently no observable plan to decrease spending,” reads the letter obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune. “In fact, expenditures are increasing and public commitments of additional expenditures … all but ensure record expenditure levels by the athletic department in the current and in future years.”

In a statement provided to The Tribune, the U. said it “appreciates the Utah State Auditor’s review and recommendations around prudent and transparent administration of public assets.”

The U.’s athletics department has operated in a deficit in recent years.

But “to avoid reporting losses” in 2025, Cannon wrote, the athletic department used millions from its financial reserves to “cover what otherwise would have been a loss.” Utah reported a surplus of $4.69 million in its most recent athletics financial report, but only after using $19.4 million from reserves.

The athletics department reported $61.5 million in reserves in 2024 and just over $42 million in 2025. That number is estimated to drop to $5.8 million this year, according to Cannon’s letter.

“Those reserves, at their current trajectory, will likely be exhausted within the next two fiscal years,” the letter reads.

The U. still has to make payments up to roughly $119 million in bond payments with interest through 2041 on past projects, including the recent expansion of the Ken Garff Red Zone at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 29th

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Big 12 announces creation of a centralized Replay Operations Center (including live audio feed)

Press release from the Big 12 … The Big 12 Conference today announced the creation of a new centralized Replay Operations Center (ROC) at Williams Tower in Irving, Texas, further modernizing the Conference’s replay operations, game management and future all-sport replay capabilities.

Located within the same building that houses the Big 12 Conference headquarters, the approximately 2,000-square-foot facility will serve as a conference-controlled replay environment designed to enhance the consistency, speed and accuracy of video review while supporting official training and evaluation.

The new ROC will also support live audio feeds during replay reviews on Big 12 football broadcasts, making the Big 12 one of just two conferences to utilize replay audio as part of its television presentation. The announcement builds on the Conference’s continued commitment to increase officiating transparency, following the implementation of live replay center look-ins during the 2025 football season that provided viewers with behind-the-scenes access to the review process.

“Our new replay center is a key investment in Big 12 Football that will strengthen our football ecosystem,” said Big 12 Chief Football and Competition Officer Scott Draper. “This state-of-the-art facility enhances communication and replay operations, elevates our television broadcasts, and creates new opportunities to improve fan engagement and transparency while keeping the Big 12 at the forefront of innovation in college athletics.”

The ROC will open for the 2027 football season, initially featuring 10 replay stations – with the ability to expand to 16 – and will include:

• A 32-input replay system utilizing existing campus fiber infrastructure
• Integrated communication systems connecting stadiums, replay officials and Conference leadership
• PTZ All-30 View camera technology designed to keep all 22 players and eight officials in frame at all times
• DVS 360 post-game review capabilities
• A dedicated replay operations floor and Game Day Center
• A year-round digital content studio supporting Big 12 Studios

As partners on the project, DVSport will provide replay hardware, maintenance, software, 24/7 remote support, onsite game support and replay operator assistance.

“The Big 12 continues to define the future of collegiate athletics with its investment in their new Replay Operations Center,” said DVSport President & CEO Brian Lowe. “By expanding its capabilities and capacity, the Conference is not only meeting the evolving demands of officiating across multiple high-profile sports, but also championing transparency in the process. At DVSport, we are thrilled to extend our replay partnership with the Big 12. Together, we are enhancing the integrity of the game by putting cutting-edge technology into the hands of officials.”

Click HERE to view/download hi-res images (initial design and renderings provided by Prado Consulting Group).

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May 28th

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Commissioner Brett Yormark: Big 12 could go to ten conference games if CFP is expanded to 24 teams

From The Athletic …  If the College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark would like to see his conference increase to 10 league games. Other conferences have also begun to discuss the idea.

Speaking to The Athletic from the Big 12 spring meetings on Wednesday, Yormark said he has floated the idea of his league increasing from nine to 10 conference games, and he plans to bring up the idea to the conference’s football coaches on Thursday when they arrive. Any such change would require the approval of member schools. The Big Ten and SEC hold the sole ability to expand the playoff or not, but Yormark supports a 24-team playoff.

“If we do go to 24, we should explore going to 10 conference games,” Yormark said. “It’s something I would like to do, on lots of different levels.”

For the first time, all four Power 4 conferences will play nine conference games this upcoming season, after the SEC and ACC increased their number to match the Big Ten and Big 12 (the ACC won’t have everyone play nine due to an odd number of members). SEC coaches have not been thrilled about their move to nine games.

The then-Pac-10 was the first major conference to move to nine league games in 2006. The Big 12 did the same in 2011, and the Big Ten followed in 2016.

The Big 12, ACC and SEC also mandate at least one Power 4 opponent (or Notre Dame) among the three non-conference games. The Big Ten does not. The decreasing number of non-conference games between P4 leagues has made it more difficult for the CFP selection committee to differentiate league strength.

As conferences have ballooned to upwards of 18 members, unequal conference schedules have become a larger discussion within leagues. Yormark also sees an increase in the TV value of such a change.

“When you look at our ratings, generally speaking, our conference games rate very well,” he said. “As I want to grow our ratings, going to 10 conference games, I think, has some merit, especially if you go to 24. So I’d like to pursue that as something that goes along with 24 at the right time.”

… Continue reading story here …

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May 27th

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Protect College Sports Act Bullet Points 

From CBS Sports … The bill is finally coming.

After years of dead ends, Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., have announced the “Protect College Sports Act,” a bipartisan bill to reform college sports.

The bill carries the prize college sports leaders have chased for the better part of a decade: a limited antitrust exemption regarding player eligibility and transfer rules — the legal shield that would let the industry write its own rules and enforce them without being challenged in the court system by players seeking additional years on the playing fields and courts.

The bill comes on the back of the since-withdrawn SCORE Act, which also promised antitrust protection. As with any bipartisan bill, compromises were part of the process in drafting the Cantwell-Cruz bill, and what did and didn’t make it into the upcoming legislation is paramount to the power players.

Along with limited anti-trust protections, the bill addresses player movement in the transfer portal and eligibility windows, legally limiting player movement to as few as one transfer per career. The NCAA is close to adopting an age-based eligibility model that would allow players to compete in up to five seasons.

What the Protect College Sports Act would do

• Create one national NIL law that overrides state-by-state rules
• Give the NCAA and conferences broader antitrust protection against lawsuits
• Create federal oversight and disclosure requirements for NIL deals
• Increase regulation of boosters, collectives and athlete agents
• Allow enforcement entities to review NIL deals for “fair market value”
• Give governing bodies more authority over transfer rules and tampering
• Require schools to provide certain athlete health, safety and academic protections
• Restrict some in-season coaching movement and hiring activity
• Formalize the post-House settlement structure into federal law
• Strengthen the NCAA’s ability to enforce compensation and eligibility rules

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Bi-Partisan Protect College Sports Act introduced in Congress

From YahooSports.com … Two U.S. senators have struck a deal in landmark bipartisan legislation to regulate college athletics.

Next comes a months-long process of gaining enough support for passage in a divided U.S. Congress at a divisive time in America.

Sens. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, and Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, reached an agreement on Wednesday after more than two months of intense negotiations, adopting a comprehensive bill that would grant the NCAA its long-sought antitrust exemption related to athlete transfers, eligibility and the compensation cap.

The bill — named the Protect College Sports Act — precludes the creation of a so-called “super league”; creates an agent registry limiting fees to 5%; permits the pooling of media rights; and bars coaches from leaving their team before the season ends.

“This bipartisan bill is designed to save the part of college sports that fans actually care about,” Cruz said in an interview with Yahoo Sports announcing the legislation.

Cantwell described the bill as delivering historic protections for athletes in creating a national standard for name, image and likeness compensation (NIL) by preempting state law. The bill is intended to curtail the industry’s spending arms race to protect the future of Olympic and women’s sports and also provides athletes with guaranteed medical care and scholarships.

“Congress is hungry for any bipartisan legislation. I know America is for sure,” Cantwell said on the bill’s chances of passage in the U.S. Senate, where 60 votes are necessary for the adoption of legislation.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the bill is the narrow legal protection granted to college sports’ governing body intended to slow player movement, standardize eligibility and control the third-party NIL spending on athletes.

The bill…

– enables administrators to enforce policies related to movement by permitting only one transfer before a player must miss a season of eligibility. A second or more transfers are permitted under certain conditions, such as a head coach leaving or the elimination of an athlete’s sport.

– establishes a five-year eligibility length for college athletes and prohibits professional athletes — even those having competed internationally — from participating in college sports if they earned compensation in their pro careers beyond prize money.

– codifies portions of the NCAA’s House settlement by granting legal protection to the NCAA and College Sports Commission to enforce strict standards in prohibiting third-party NIL deals.

– remains mostly neutral on athlete employment, leaving open as a possibility for athletes to eventually be deemed employees or/and collectively bargain.

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While most Division I conferences pledged their support for the Senate legislation last week — even before the bill was released — SEC and Big Ten officials withheld their position on the matter.

Those within the league expressed caution about the language specifically addressing the pooling of media rights and other concepts.

For instance, the act prevents any league earning more than $1 billion in revenue on its 2025 tax returns from merging or consolidating with another conference.

There are only two leagues that earn such revenue: the Big Ten and SEC, college sports’ behemoths who many believe are destined to eventually break away to create their own “super league.”

There is another concept targeting those two conferences: The bill offers leagues the ability — it’s an option only — to pool their media rights contracts in an effort to generate more revenue at a financially stressed time. The pooling of rights — a divisive topic among SEC and Big Ten leaders who are against the proposal — is only “voluntary,” the two senators reaffirmed to Yahoo Sports.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 26th

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SEC Commissioner Sankey – No decision expanded playoff anytime soon: “We have time”

From CBS Sports … Greg Sankey arrived at the SEC’s spring meetings Monday with a message for anyone expecting a breakthrough on the College Football Playoff: the SEC has time, and it intends to use it.

Every other power conference has picked a side on whether to expand the CFP from 12 to 24 teams. The SEC might be filled with varying opinions, but the conference’s leadership is still thinking.

“I do not anticipate any decisions on the College Football Playoff — just so we’re clear, so we can tamp that down,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday evening, the day before the conference’s annual spring meetings were set to begin in Florida. “We have time. We’ll have informed discussion.”

That means the biggest story hovering over the sport will likely stretch into at least June, as the SEC remains the lone power conference not yet to publicly support expanding the format from 12 teams to 24 as early as the 2027-28 season. The SEC has long resisted expansion beyond 16 teams, but several athletic directors and coaches have expressed interest in renewing discussions initially sparked by the Big Ten last fall.

Sankey has publicly supported expansion, but he offered last week that he prefers 16 teams. He reiterated Monday, however, that a decision from the SEC is tied to the coaches, athletic directors and presidents.

“I’ve never said, even last year, that we’re opposed to some number other than 14. I’ve told my colleagues that,” Sankey said. “I’m not an opponent of 24 or 28. We have to inform the decision-making. I think we did a good job informing our position last year on 16. We’ll consider other ideas, certainly, this week and moving forward.”

… Continue reading story here …

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May 23rd

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Would a 24-team playoff render regular season games – like Michigan/Ohio State – irrelevant? 

From The Athletic … Michigan vs. Ohio State took the first real step toward becoming “The Game” in college football in 1969, when first-year coach Bo Schembechler and the Wolverines stunned mentor Woody Hayes and the No. 1 Buckeyes 24-12 at Michigan Stadium.

Huge personalities on both sidelines. Personal history between them. Bordering states. Tradition-rich programs. All these elements were in place to elevate the rivalry in the 1970s and make it what it remains to this day. But don’t forget another critical element: national stakes. Michigan robbing Ohio State — a team Hayes said many times was his best — of a national championship is more impactful than anything else about this irresistible drama’s pilot episode.

Two programs that had met only once before with both ranked in the top five did so five times in the 1970s. Both were usually in the thick of the race to finish ranked No. 1; one of them always was. In nearly 60 years of football since Nov. 22, 1969, the cost of losing “The Game” has been steep for at least one of the two combatants. This is central to the rivalry’s greatness.

And now the guy who runs the Big Ten wants to take that away.

NCAA Tournament expansionist/TV executive/Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, who is navigating this era of college athletics like Joseph Hazelwood on the Exxon Valdez, is on a full PR blitz this week selling a 24-team College Football Playoff. It’s his baby, it’s got serious momentum, and the Big Ten is making sure to fill the air with endorsements — what a pleasure to find out Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck is in favor of mediocre football receiving unjust rewards.

This is a bad idea on many fronts and would be an unconscionable move in 2027, just three years after the four-team Playoff tripled to 12. The financial uncertainties alone should give pause. That’s why NCAA Tournament expansionist/bad idea guy/SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is balking.

But even if the inventory is ultimately valued and bid on as hoped, Michigan-Ohio State alone tells us staying at 12 long-term is the best path. With some hope that 16 might still be OK? And persistent concerns about what 24 would do to the sport.

Everyone should acknowledge there are things we don’t and can’t know right now. Same as with the NCAA Tournament going from 68 to 76. I’m worried about what the added opening-round games and unwieldy bracket will mean to the casual fan. I don’t know that it will be damaging. Nor do you, misguided expansionist, know it will be embraced.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 22nd

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Texas head coach/Tom Brady take shots at Texas Tech

From On3Sports.com … Steve Sarkisian calls out Texas Tech schedule at Touchdown Club of Houston

Per Anwar Richardson, the Texas head coach said, “There’s a team in our state that plays in another conference that has a schedule that I would argue if I played with our twos and our threes, we could go undefeated, and they’ll probably make the CFP this year.”

Richardson said that Sarkisian made the comment after being asked by a fan at the Touchdown Club in Houston if there is any way to get the College Football Playoff Committee to factor in the strength of schedule in its decision-making. Sarkisian did not reveal the team, but most suspect he’s talking about Texas Tech.

The Texas Tech response … 

A feud broke out on Thursday between two long-time Lone Star State foes. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian got the ball rolling, indirectly calling out Texas Tech and their 2026 schedule. Cody Campbell then responded, saying the schools should get back on each other’s schedules. Now, Red Raiders general manager James Blanchard is in on the fun.

Blanchard decided to take a shot at both Texas and Sarkisian on social media. He used a common term in SEC Country — “It just means more.” Now, Blanchard claims a lot of “excuses” are coming out of Austin.

“For the longest they claimed ‘it just means more.’ Now it’s a bunch of excuses,” Blanchard said via X.

There is not much context regarding what Blanchard is referring to. However, this came about an hour after Campbell’s tweet about Texas and Texas Tech facing each other.

... Meanwhile, Tom Brady calls Texas Tech a “glorified community college” … 

From On3Sports.com … Tom Brady took a shot at Texas Tech while speaking to graduates at Georgetown University. The six-time Super Bowl champion gave the commencement address and spoke about Texas Tech when mentioning Danny Amendola.

“He wasn’t the tallest, he wasn’t the fastest, but he had a huge heart, and he played his ass off in the biggest moments,” Tom Brady said of Amendola. “I hope you guys find colleagues like Danny. Having business school friends are great, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes you need a kid from a glorified community college who can bail your ass out of any jam.”

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May 20th

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Iowa State athletic director to Big Ten/SEC: “I would turn it around and say we should break away from them”

From The Athletic … Significant frustration over governance and other revenue-related issues between the Big 12 and the power-conference duo of the SEC and Big Ten has boiled over for one Big 12 athletic director, who told reporters, “Let ’em break away.”

“I would turn it around and say we should break away from them,” Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard told reporters along his annual Cyclone Caravan and filmed by Cyclone Fanatic. “Let them go, but they have to go in all their sports and see how fun it is to play baseball and softball and track when it’s just the 20 of you.

“That’s probably a little more draconian, but that’s how I feel about it. Let’s quit talking about it, quit threatening, go do it.”

Part of Pollard’s frustration stems from the Big Ten’s and SEC’s unwillingness to adhere to College Sports Commission rulings. The most high-profile case involves the CSC denying name, image and likeness deals worth $7.5 million to 18 Nebraska athletes with compensation coming from Playfly Sports, a multimedia-rights company that partners with Nebraska. Both sides appealed to an independent arbiter, which ruled in the CSC’s favor.

“The four commissioners spent a lot of money creating the CSC,” Pollard said. “Then to have two of the conferences not want to adhere to it is perplexing to me, because then, why did we spend the money? If you didn’t want rules, then why did you create this entity? That’s what’s frustrating to me, the same people that say they want rules only want rules if they don’t apply to them.”

According to numbers released by the CSC, beginning on June 11, 2025, and through April 30, 2026, it has cleared 26,556 deals worth a total value of $242.35 million. The CSC has denied 1,153 deals worth a total value of $56.17 million. Other deals, primarily from Big Ten and SEC schools, remain in limbo.

Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz declined to comment about Pollard’s barbs at the Big Ten, saying, “I try to focus on Iowa and the Big Ten; I think that’s just good practice to focus on our own groups.”

“Generally speaking, I think the Big Ten is trying to do things the right way in the system that exists,” Goetz said. “We’re putting our deals in, and we all recognize that right now there’s some challenges within the system that was created for a variety of reasons. So it’s just a collective focus on identifying the best way to continue to support the enterprise, and that means we need a sustainable financial model.”

… Continue reading story here …

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May 18th

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Surprise! Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby sues NCAA for eligibility reinstatement

From The Athletic … Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Texas state court on Monday, seeking a temporary injunction that would grant him eligibility for the 2026 college football season. Sorsby is under investigation by the NCAA for gambling violations, including bets he placed on Indiana football while Sorsby was a member of the Hoosiers in 2022, which Sorsby details in an affidavit attached to the lawsuit. Sorsby says he needs clarity on his collegiate status so that he can apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft by late June if his NCAA career is done.

The lawsuit, filed in Lubbock County Court, where Texas Tech University is located, states that Sorsby is “currently ineligible to play for Texas Tech due to prior violations of the NCAA’s sports gambling rules.

“Rather than support a student-athlete’s recovery from a gambling addiction … the NCAA has weaponized his condition to shore up a facade of competitive integrity, while simultaneously profiting from the very gambling ecosystem it polices,” the lawsuit reads.

Sorsby is represented by prominent sports labor lawyer Jeffrey Kessler and Lubbock lawyer Dustin Burrows. According to updated NCAA sports betting guidelines passed in 2023, players who bet on games involving their own team face permanent loss of eligibility.

In the affidavit, Sorsby admits to “placing small bets on the Indiana football team, typically in amounts between $5 and $50” in 2022 when he was a member of the Hoosiers. Sorsby was a true freshman at the time and competing on the scout team “with several quarterbacks ahead of me on the team’s depth chart and there was no reasonable chance that I would play,” according to the affidavit.

Sorsby said the bets were a way to “feel more connected to the team” and that he never used non-public information when deciding what bets to place.

“Because the Indiana football team was not a very strong competitor in 2022, I lost most of the bets I placed,” according to the affidavit.

He later appeared in one game as a true freshman, but the affidavit states that Sorsby “never placed any bets on any Indiana football game that I participated in or that I reasonably expected that I could have participated in.”

Sorsby, 23, announced on April 27 that he would be taking an “immediate indefinite leave of absence” from Texas Tech football to enter a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction. The lawsuit’s timing stands out because of the NCAA investigation timeline. Typically with eligibility investigations, the school must first determine whether an athlete is ineligible, which the lawsuit claims Texas Tech did “promptly” after the NCAA opened its investigation in April. Once that decision has been made, the school can request reinstatement from the NCAA on behalf of the athlete as part of the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Reinstatement (SAR) process.

… Continue reading story here …

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Oregon suing former player for transferring to Oklahoma

From CBS Sports … The University of Oregon has filed a lawsuit against former defensive back Dakoda Fields, alleging that his departure via the transfer portal was accompanied by a financial agreement that Fields failed to pay in full. According to court documents obtained by The Oregonian and filed May 15 in Lane County Circuit Court, Oregon claims Fields — who transferred to Oklahoma this offseason — agreed to pay $39,882.30 in exchange for a release from his contract with the school after deciding to transfer following the 2025 season.

The university alleges the agreement included a $10,000 reduction if Fields submitted payment by April 20, but that deadline passed without payment, per the report. The lawsuit states Fields later paid $29,882.30, though Oregon contends he still owes the remaining $10,000 along with interest and legal costs.

“Pursuant to section 7 of the Contract, the University is entitled to reimbursement of its attorney fees, costs, and disbursements plus statutory interest of 9% from April 21, 2026 until paid,” the filing states, per the report.

The details of the original agreement were not disclosed in the lawsuit. Oregon law shields many details related to athlete revenue-sharing and NIL contracts from public release.

His departure became a storyline late in the 2025 season after reports surfaced in November that Fields planned to enter the transfer portal before the season had concluded. Oregon coach Dan Lanning publicly addressed the situation during a Nov. 5 press conference and indicated there had been little communication between the program and the player.

“He didn’t come to work today,” Lanning said. “I — we haven’t talked to Dakoda, so I guess that’s the way it goes nowadays.”

Oregon’s lawsuit is one of several recent disputes tied to NIL and revenue-sharing agreements as schools increasingly attempt to enforce contracts in the transfer portal era.

In February, Cincinnati sued former quarterback Brendan Sorsby after his transfer to Texas Tech, alleging he violated the terms of a revenue-sharing agreement that included a reported $1 million buyout provision if he left the program before the contract expired. According to court documents obtained by The Athletic, Cincinnati claimed Sorsby breached an 18-month agreement that ran through the 2026 season. Sorsby later signed with Texas Tech on a reported multi-million dollar NIL package following Cincinnati’s 2025 campaign, but has since taken a leave of absence from the program to enter treatment for a gambling addiction amid an NCAA investigation into sports betting allegations.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 16th

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Stop the Madness! Stewart Mandel’s plea to stop the momentum of a 24-team Playoff

From Stewart Mandel at The Athletic …. Who here saw the 2021 disaster satire “Don’t Look Up”?

A comet is heading toward Earth that will surely wipe out civilization. Meryl Streep’s dim-witted president comes up with a plan to send a nuclear weapon into space to destroy it, but calls it off when a billionaire donor convinces her cabinet that they will all get rich by mining it for minerals instead.

Spoiler alert: Civilization gets wiped out.

This exact scenario is unfolding in college football right now. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti (not a billionaire, but certainly a get-rich-schemer) has somehow convinced a growing number of fellow power-brokers — ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua and Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks — that a 24-team College Football Playoff is the answer to all their problems.

Much like the alarmist astronomers in “Don’t Look Up” who can’t get anyone to listen to them, 90 percent of actual college football fans are pleading with these guys: Don’t do it! (That’s a real number, by the way, based on several online polls.) But to this point, no one is listening to them.

Because what would they know? They’re only the folks who buy the tickets and deliver the Nielsen ratings that fund the entire enterprise.

We just went through this to some extent with the 76-team NCAA tournament nonsense, but the consequences of that one — a few more mediocre teams get in and the bracket gets clunkier — are puny compared with the transformation college football is considering.

Doubling the size of the CFP would redefine the entire ethos of the sport. And not in a good way.

What draws tens of millions of people to tune in on fall Saturdays is that the regular season matters. In college football, you can’t go 9-8 and play for the Super Bowl, or go .500 in your basketball conference and still reach the Final Four. No one rests their superstars for a Week 4 road game like in the NBA. But they might now.

Heck, this is a sport where, as recently as 2023, you could go undefeated and not play for a national title (sorry, Florida State). Now, in what would be the grossest overcorrection in modern sports history, we could go from that to 8-4 teams in the Playoff in the span of four years.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 15th

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Behind Oklahoma State’s complete 85-man roster flip: “We’re trying to write the same script as Indiana”

From ESPN … The Cowboys enjoyed a remarkable run of sustained success under Mike Gundy with 18 consecutive winning seasons. Gundy secured his eighth 10-win season in 2023. But the program fell off a cliff over the past two years with a 4-20 record and zero conference wins. The winningest coach in school history was fired last fall three games into a hopeless 1-11 season.

The school brought in the 40-year-old Morris and trusted him to execute a complete shake-up this offseason. He’s practically leading an expansion team in 2026. Oklahoma State’s 105-man roster this season will feature 85 new players, including 60 acquired in the transfer portal. Even for these endlessly transactional times for college football, this is one of the most dramatic roster flips ever attempted.

The to-do list as soon as Morris accepted the job on Nov. 25: Convince Mestemaker to follow his coaches up to Stillwater. Get a dozen more North Texas starters committed to joining him. Restock every position group with the right mix of transfers and high school signees over a marathon month of nonstop recruiting, nearly 90 official visits and daily chaos. And, well, try your best to stay under budget.

The new Cowboys aren’t shy about saying they intend to win big right away. Nobody’s urging patience or calling this a four-year process. They have a plan, and they’re hoping it ends up looking an awful lot like the defending national champions.

“We’re trying to write the same script as Indiana,” wide receiver Wyatt Young said.

Morris admits he’d lay in bed thinking about potentially losing Mestemaker. “Everybody knew Oregon and Texas A&M and LSU wanted him,” Morris said. Mestemaker did seriously consider Oregon, but Dante Moore had yet to announce whether he was returning or going pro.

Mestemaker wasn’t interested in going on a tour of visits or embracing a bidding war. He wouldn’t do that to Morris.

“They took a chance on me,” Mestemaker said. “I’m not going to make them keep matching these other schools’ offers. I feel like that’s just out of bad faith.”

Oklahoma State named Morris as its new head coach in late November, but Mestemaker waited until after North Texas’ New Mexico Bowl victory to announce he was transferring. The initial offer from Oklahoma State required a bit more negotiating. It was eye-opening to Mestemaker to learn his reps could ask for a new truck, accommodations for his mom to travel to games and other perks.

Mestemaker officially announced his pledge to the Pokes on Jan. 3. He inked the richest deal in program history, a two-year agreement that sources told ESPN will pay around $7 million. As he drove around in his 2026 Ford F-150 Lariat with his girlfriend this spring, he couldn’t help but appreciate how much his life has changed in just 15 college starts.

“If you would’ve told me in three years I would’ve been here, I would’ve told you that you were crazy,” Mestemaker said. “It all happened so fast.”

Once Mestemaker was in, his North Texas teammates in the portal didn’t need too much convincing.

Young, his go-to receiver with 1,264 receiving yards in 2025, was planning to take official visits to Michigan, Louisville and Missouri after his visit to Stillwater. For a former three-star recruit who made around $7,000 last year, it was exciting to be in demand. Several schools offered significantly more money than Oklahoma State could. For Young, it came down to trust.

“I didn’t know these other coaches and they hardly knew me,” Young said. “They’re telling me I can come in and be the guy. ‘You’re my guy, you’re gonna be a 1,000-yard receiver here, we’re feeding you the ball.’ Is that really what’s going to happen? They have a week to get to know me. How do you make relationships with that time?

“Wherever Drew was going, that’s where I wanted to go. Why would I want to play with any other quarterback? I feel like he’s the best in the country.”

For freshman running back Caleb Hawkins, there was no beating his relationship with his position coach Patrick Cobbs. The AAC Rookie of the Year was following Cobbs no matter what. When the portal opened, Hawkins intentionally did not have an agent because he didn’t want anyone to convince him to go elsewhere.

“You didn’t have to convince Caleb,” Mestemaker said. “Caleb didn’t even know Texas and Oklahoma and all these schools wanted him.”

In high school, Hawkins was being recruited by Division II schools before North Texas found him. Young couldn’t get admitted to Rice and thought he’d end up at Blinn College. And Mestemaker was considering walking on at Sam Houston or trying the junior college route at Laney College until Morris gave him a roster spot. They bet on the coaches who had believed in them.

This offseason, Oklahoma State was one of 11 FBS programs with new head coaches who signed double-digit players from their previous school. Penn State led the way when it imported 24 players from Iowa State’s roster.

In all, 20 former North Texas players made the move to Stillwater. The new staff was off to a solid start. Now they just needed to go find 60 more.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 14th

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Big 12 and ACC join the Big Ten in supporting 24-team playoff

From CBS Sports … The ACC wants to double the number of teams in the College Football Playoff. The conference’s coaches and athletic directors voiced their unanimous support for expanding the CFP to 24 teams during a joint meeting Tuesday at the conference’s spring meetings outside Jacksonville.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips was also in attendance for the meeting, sources told CBS Sports, and he addressed the idea of expansion with reporters on Wednesday morning.

“It’s been very consistent in what I’ve indicated … when you’re leaving national championship-contending teams out of the playoff, you don’t have the right number,” Phillips said.

The development comes on the heels of the American Football Coaches Association’s push for a 24-team field last week, a format first proposed by the Big Ten last year. Conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, without the SEC’s Greg Sankey, met during a White House presidential committee meeting earlier this spring and voiced their interest and support for a 24-team field.

The Big 12 also supports a 24-team field, commissioner Brett Yormark told CBS Sports on Tuesday.

“The Big 12 likes 24, subject to doing the work and figuring out the economics,” Yormark said.

The development places pressure on the SEC, which has yet to move beyond public support for a 12- or 16-team format. The SEC’s annual spring meetings with athletic directors, coaches and university presidents are scheduled to begin May 26.

“We’ll see what comes out of SEC meetings — and Big Ten meetings and Big 12 meetings,” said Phillips, who added that ESPN — which broadcasts the event — has been “pretty clear” to commissioners that it would prefer the CFP to remain at 12 teams or an expansion model involving no more than 16.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 13th

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ACC AD’s tiring of Notre Dame getting special treatment: “There’s a widespread perception that we’re all getting used”

From On3Sports … Notre Dame and the ACC always have been strange bedfellows. The Irish have never been fully committed to the ACC; more like friends with benefits.

“Notre Dame,” an industry source told On3, “is the guy that walks in the house, opens the fridge, eats all the food, then (screws) the wife, kicks the dog, doesn’t pay the mortgage and walks out without any skin in the game.”

Notre Dame’s not-all-in relationship with the ACC has mostly worked out, although privately, there is a large contingent at ACC schools that resent the Golden Domers. In December, that was magnified when the Irish became the first 10-win team to opt out of a bowl game after Notre Dame didn’t receive a playoff bid.

At this week’s ACC spring meetings at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, “pathetic,” “100 percent arrogance” and “crybabies” were just a few of the responses from the league’s athletic directors and coaches that spoke with On3 about Notre Dame.

While the bowl snub impacted the ACC’s bowl lineup more than the schools directly, it continued an ACC/Notre Dame narrative that, quite frankly, a lot of folks at ACC schools are sick and tired of.

“There’s a very widespread perception that we’re all getting used,” an ACC athletic director told On3. “And we’re sick of it. If an ACC team did that, it would have been fined. It’s a bad situation creating bad outcomes for organizations that need each other.”

Added another ACC AD: “It seems reasonable to have a consequence if the conference membership agreed to something then an individual institution made a decision counter to that decision.”

“I’m still waiting,” said an ACC coach, glancing down at his watch, “to see how much their fine is going to be.”

Notre Dame was not fined. Technically, there isn’t a specific ACC by-law that addresses bowl opt outs. However, there wasn’t a by-law in the Big 12 either. And that didn’t stop the Big 12 from fining Iowa State and Kansas State $500,000 each for opting out of bowl games last year.

Two years ago, the Sun Belt fined Marshall $100,000 for opting out of its bowl game. All three teams had coaching changes that impacted their rosters. Every program that has opted out of a bowl game, except for COVID issues, has been fined – except Notre Dame.

Miami coach Mario Cristobal, whose Hurricanes received the final at-large spot over Notre Dame, said UM would never opt out of a bowl.

“I want to speak independently of any other school,” Cristobal said. “As far as Miami, Miami has to play in any game its afforded to play. That’s just our belief. This day and age, sometimes certain players play and other players don’t play, but it is my obligation to finish the season. I do not judge anyone or any team for their choices.”

The ACC chose to allow Notre Dame this sweetheart deal in 2012: be an ACC member in all non-football sports and a part of the ACC’s bowl lineup while remaining an independent in football. The Irish, in turn, agreed to play five ACC football opponents annually until 2037.

Notre Dame gets the best of both worlds: maintaining football independence and having a safety net in the bowl system, which guarantees Notre Dame an ACC bowl destination.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 12th

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Inside the Big 12’s private capital (don’t call it private equity) deal with RedBird Capital Partners

From CBS Sports … When Brett Yormark made the call 18 months ago to RedBird Capital Partners, the gap was already hard math, and it was only growing.

The Big 12’s revenue was less than half of the Big Ten’s $928 million, and with revenue-sharing on the horizon and NIL contracts draining the schools’ coffers and lightening boosters’ pockets, it was time to act.

Yormark, who became Big 12 commissioner in August 2022, was left with two problems on his desk. The first was the revenue gap. The second was that no one at the conference level had ever been built to close it.

What he reached for was something major college sports had never tried at the conference level: a private-capital partner. After working informally to help close two sponsorship deals worth roughly $100 million over the last year, RedBird and the Big 12 officially became partners.

That is the test case college athletics is watching. Many in the Big 12 are curious, too. After all, their future, whatever the next iteration of college sports resembles, depends on their financial viability.

“The onus is on the schools to innovate,” said Robert Klein, president of RedBird Capital Partners. “If they embrace new business models that reflect today’s economic framework, we can help them to unlock value.”

Schools and conferences across the country are desperate to carve out new revenue streams to counter rising operational costs, coaches’ salaries and the latest line item, revenue-sharing contracts with players, which is set to enter its second year after the House v. NCAA settlement paved the way for sharing the financial pie with thousands of players.

Inside the three-part RedBird model 

The first leg is commercial. RedBird Development Group, the firm’s in-house sales arm, has signed two major sponsors on behalf of the Big 12, generating roughly $100 million in new revenue that flows down to the schools. The marquee partnership is with PayPal, a deal that includes on-field logos, co-branded credit cards for the conference and its member schools, and a Venmo system to deliver NIL payments to athletes.

The second leg draws on Cardinale’s actual track record. The $12.5 million CAS has invested directly into the conference is earmarked for new EBITDA-generating businesses owned at the conference level. This is the playbook he ran with the NFL through On Location, and with the Yankees through YES. He builds businesses that monetize intellectual property rather than simply taking minority stakes in teams and waiting for them to appreciate.

The third leg has drawn the most questions. The private capital credit line CAS has offered to the Big 12’s 16 schools, allowing athletic departments to draw up to $30 million over the next year, with repayment taken from the Big 12’s annual revenue distribution to schools. At least 11 schools have initially declined the line of credit from CAS.

The label “private equity” is a dirty word for some, particularly in college athletics, where universities had long raised money on their own and generated millions in revenue without the overhead of paying players. Private equity firms are often fingered as vultures seeking short-term profits at the expense of a company’s long-term stability, leading to cuts and a diminished product.

“Private equity gets lumped into this amorphous monolithic group, which misses the point,” said Cardinale, founder and managing partner of RedBird Capital. “I don’t think of myself as private equity, which has a pejorative connotation for many people and therefore overshadows the importance of capital at this table.  The question at hand should be what to do with the capital, and with that answer comes which type of capital is most appropriate.

“The one thing I’ve learned in the several years that we’ve been engaging within the college athletics ecosystem is that one size does not fit all, and the flexibility to offer bespoke capital solutions to address individual university objectives is an important prerequisite for any actionable capital relationship.”

The traditional private-equity sports playbook, Klein said, is to take secondary stakes in teams or leagues, discount them and wait for the equity to appreciate. RedBird’s track record is the inverse, he said. They build companies around the intellectual property a team or league already controls, rather than buying into the team itself. “We approach it as business guys,” he said, “not as private equity guys [who] want to take minority stakes in teams.”

The pressure on Big 12 athletic departments is substantial. The 16 schools averaged roughly $131.7 million in operating expenses in 2025, according to NCAA reporting, with average annual operating losses of approximately $57.4 million per school — a rise of nearly $9 million compared to the previous year. Those operating losses are offset, though not always fully, by booster contributions and university support from student fees and redirected funding.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 11th 

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Ohio State 2026 roster: $43.48 million 

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White House committee draft proposals include salary cap for coaches and a Group of Six playoff

From CBS Sports … The White House committee tasked with reforming college athletics is circulating a draft of ideas for discussion that suggests capping coaches’ salaries, creating a Group of Six playoff and shielding the NCAA from antitrust litigation in what would be the most ambitious federal government intervention into college sports ever.

The preliminary recommendations, reviewed Friday by CBS Sports, were circulated this week within President Donald Trump’s College Sports Reform Committee. The committee marked the draft for “discussion purposes only” and wrote that it is actively seeking input from industry participants and athletes before moving toward formal policy.

The committee calls for a new entity to oversee a plan it believes should be implemented in three phases. A new College Sports Reform Task Force would be established within the existing NCAA structure, armed with limited antitrust exemptions and the authority to override state laws. The task force would operate for two years, and any rules it sets during that period would carry permanent antitrust protection, meaning they would remain in effect even after the body dissolves, unless a future governing body or Congress changes them.

Congress would also oversee the College Sports Reform Task Force.

But none of the ideas work without Congressional intervention. The plans all hinge on Congress passing legislation to shield the NCAA and its membership from antitrust lawsuits. The committee is pushing for legislation to be adopted before Congress’s summer recess, “even if such legislation is inconsistent with any recommendations made in this memo.”

The long-gestating SCORE Act is expected to be presented on the House floor the week of May 18, though leaders believe the bill is at least half a dozen votes short of passing the Senate and becoming law.

The committee’s document outlined a three-phased approach, with a focus on “decisive near-term action and long-term structural reforms aimed at permanent sustainability.”

The ideas: Salary caps, media rights reform, Group of Six playoff

The document outlines three phases: stabilization, media rights reform and permanent governance.

Phase 1 is where the most consequential ideas live.

The document calls for salary caps for coaches and administrators, the most direct intervention into athletic department spending ever proposed at the federal level. It’s aimed at addressing rising costs in college athletics, which have led some programs to cut non-revenue sports and shrink staff sizes in athletic departments. Coaches’ salaries have never been higher. At least 13 major football coaches are set to be paid at least $10 million next season.

Also outlined in the document is the prohibition on NIL-based salary cap circumvention, a growing concern as booster collectives and athletic departments redirect multimedia rights and apparel revenues to supplement the $20.5 million that schools are permitted to share with players under the terms of the House v. NCAA settlement.

The committee also wishes to modify the CFP’s revenue distribution and create a separate playoff for the Group of Six conferences. They also suggest possibly shaking up conference membership for non-revenue sports “to decrease travel costs and burden on schools and student athletes.”

… Continue reading story here …

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May 8th

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Adding insult to injury? Even in a projected 76-team field, CU doesn’t make the cut

… Ten Big 12 teams are projected to make the 2027 men’s NCAA tournament – CU still on the outside looking in … 

From CBS Sports … NCAA Tournament expansion cleared a major hurdle Thursday on the path to becoming official, when a push to increase the field from 68 teams to 76 for the 2026-27 season passed unanimously through the Division I men’s and women’s basketball committees.

While a few steps still remain within the NCAA’s robust bureaucratic structure, they are viewed as formalities on the inevitable path to the tournament’s biggest reshuffle since the Ronald Reagan administration.

The eight new spots will go to eight at-large teams, who will participate in what will henceforth be known as the “Opening Round.” Additionally, the 12 worst-seeded automatic qualifiers will now be sent to the Opening Round instead of only the four worst-seeded teams.

Subsequently, the field will now include eight No. 16 seeds and six No. 15 seeds. The new at-large teams will slot in as either No. 11, No. 12 or No. 13 seeds, depending on where they fall in the seeding hierarchy relative to automatic qualifiers.

In total, there will be 12 Opening Round games in the 2027 NCAA Tournament, meaning just 20 of the 32 first-round matchups will be known when the full bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday.

The Big East benefited the most in this Bracketology run. The league jumped from three teams in the 2026 Big Dance to seven in the 2027 field during our simulation. Here is the full rundown of the multi-bid leagues. The other 26 conferences placed one team apiece in the field.

Big Ten (12): Michigan, Illinois, Michigan State, USC, Purdue, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, UCLA, Maryland, Wisconsin, Oregon
SEC (11): Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri, Auburn
Big 12 (10): Iowa State, Arizona, Houston, BYU, Kansas, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Baylor, West Virginia, Oklahoma State
ACC (8): Duke, Virginia, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Clemson, Florida State
Big East (7): UConn, St. John’s, Villanova, Xavier, Creighton, Marquette, Providence
Atlantic 10 (2): VCU, Saint Louis

… Read full story here …

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May 7th

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Spirit of ’76: NCAA makes 76-team fields official – How it will work

From ESPN … It’s finally official: The NCAA is expanding the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments by eight teams to new fields of 76, set to take immediate effect with this upcoming season.

Of the 68 teams in last season’s tournaments, 31 were automatic bids — each conference receives one apiece — and 37 were at-large bids, chosen by the selection committees based on various metrics. The increase to 76 teams means 44 at-large bids will now be handed out, with 32 automatic bids needed due to the return of the Pac-12.

The latest expansion raises the question: What does it mean for the sport of college basketball? Here’s everything you need to know.

How will the eight additional teams be bracketed?

The First Four is out, the Opening Round is in. Instead of eight teams playing in four games for a chance to advance to the round of 64, there will now be 24 teams playing in 12 such games. Half of said teams will be the lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers, the other the lowest-seeded at-large teams.

The NCAA will visually present the new Opening Round at the top of the bracket, with winners feeding into the classic 64-team field.

When and where will the new ‘Opening Round’ take place?

On the men’s side, the 12 games will be played on the Tuesday and Wednesday between Selection Sunday and when the round of 64 begins that Thursday. Instead of scheduling two games each day in Dayton, as has been the case with the First Four, there will be three games each day in Dayton and three games each day in a second city yet to be determined. ESPN’s Pete Thamel has reported the second site is expected to be west of the Eastern time zone to help with logistics.

On the women’s side, the 12 Opening Round games will be played on the Wednesday and Thursday between Selection Sunday and when the round of 64 begins that Friday — and across 12 of the campus sites designated as first- and second-round hosts.

What does this mean for the bubble and potential Cinderellas?

The bubble will get bigger, with more teams seeing their chance to make the tournament rise entering the final stretch of the season, in part by minimizing some of the “bubble elimination” games we have seen during Champ Weeks, when teams often go head-to-head for an at-large bid. And the biggest beneficiary of the expansion will undoubtedly be the power conferences.

With realignment, we’ve already seen teams that finished in the middle of the pack make the field, which will happen more frequently with more bids up for grabs. For instance, an Auburn team that finished 7-11 in the SEC and 17-16 overall was among the first four teams out of this past season’s tournament; the Tigers would have gotten a bid if the field was expanded.

There might be room for another mid-major at-large team or two, particularly those that dominate the season but lose early in their conference tournaments (i.e. Indiana State in 2024) or those with gaudy records and impressive metrics but not the marquee wins of the power-conference teams (i.e. Miami Ohio in 2026).

The bottom line, though: After a 2025 men’s tournament that featured zero teams seeded lower than 12 advance to the second round and a 2026 men’s tournament that saw just one double-digit seed reach the Sweet 16 — and a 2025 women’s tournament that featured zero teams seeded lower than 10 advance — Cinderellas could have even more of an uphill climb in the expanded field.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 5th 

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It’s good to be the king: Big Ten fans weigh in on whether their conference has surpassed the SEC 

From The Athletic … It’s good to be the king of college football — at least that’s how Big Ten football fans feel this spring.

The Athletic conducted a reader survey to gauge opinions about the Big Ten, its television arrangement, its 18 football programs and other major issues facing the conference and the sport after spring football. After nearly 3,600 responses, it’s clear that in the wake of three straight CFP titles, fans of Big Ten teams are feeling bullish about the conference and how it compares with the SEC. Most seem to like the football leadership at their favorite school but are skeptical of Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti. Many expressed concerns related to name, image and likeness money and nostalgia for the days of smaller conferences.

“The conference is too big, but it definitely beats being in the Pac-12 given its state in the final few years,” said Peter, an Oregon fan. “The TV setup is way better, and the travel has not seemed to affect my team’s performance too much.”

Added Sam, a Nebraska fan, “The Big Ten’s on-field performance has been a boon for the conference’s prestige, but I have significant concerns about the future. Private equity, insisting on additional playoff autobids, a wonky TV deal, and a conference spread thin over multiple time zones are issues that remain.”

Every school was represented in the responses, with self-described Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana and Iowa fans each accounting for at least 10 percent of the votes, and Maryland, Rutgers and UCLA were at less than 2 percent. We’ve split the survey results into two parts: This story focuses on Big Ten and college football issues; Part 2, coming later this week, concerns the individual schools.

“The conference as a whole has enjoyed (more) success the last 2-3 years than any other time in my memory,” said Ethan, a Michigan State fan. “I am happy for the Big Ten as a whole, especially Indiana, whose fans are some of the best in the Big Ten, but there are a few complaints I do have for them.”

“At some point, I realized the Big Ten is no longer the underdog,” said Cara, a Penn State fan. “We are now the bad guy. We have the money and will happily drive all of college football off a cliff if it means more money.”

More than 90 percent of respondents believe the Big Ten is at least on par with the SEC, and nearly two-thirds believe the league has surpassed its fellow superconference. Since the 12-team CFP was instituted in 2024, the Big Ten is 8-2 head-to-head against the SEC in the postseason, including a 3-0 mark in Playoff games with an average margin of victory of 24.7 points

“The Big Ten can finally compete with the SEC by openly paying athletes and investing in the best coaching, training, and facilities in the nation,” said Alex, a Purdue fan. “All of a sudden, you see the SEC humbled.”

“The Big Ten is catching up with the SEC due to the deep pockets of their established alumni base having the funds to buy players versus just putting names on buildings,” said Keith, an Illinois fan.

Big Ten readers are less bullish when it comes to the league’s lower-tier programs. None of the more than 400 comments that mentioned the SEC argued that the Big Ten was the better league at the bottom. Whether that’s related to on-field results, vibes, brands or fan interest, it’s a shared opinion.

“The Big Ten is better at the top than any conference, but the SEC has more good teams and is tougher from top to bottom,” said Bob, an Ohio State fan. “Outside of Mississippi State, the SEC lacks doormats. Rutgers, Northwestern and Maryland stink every year.”

“As a college football follower for the last 25-plus years, I can honestly say this is the first I can remember the top of the Big Ten being on par or slightly above that of the SEC,” said Aaron, a fan of a team outside the Big Ten. “With that being said, the mid-to-lower portion of the conference is still behind. The SEC is still above when it comes to brand and fan gameday experience.”

… Continue reading story here …

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May 4th

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Big Ten distributed $1.37 billion to its members, most receiving $76-$79 million (Big 12’s overall revenue: $460 million)

From The Athletic … The Big Ten generated nearly $1.47 billion in the 2024-25 fiscal year and distributed $1.37 billion to its 18 members, the league announced Friday.

Revenue surged $540 million above the conference’s previous high, and the league disbursed $490 million more to its schools in fiscal 2025 than in the previous year. The total distribution was $340 million higher than what the Southeastern Conference ($1.03 billion) announced in February. For perspective, the Big 12 reported $460 million in overall revenue in its most recent available tax return.

The league’s 55 percent revenue increase stemmed from several factors. It marked the league’s first 18-member season, its first full year under the Big Ten’s media rights agreement — which brought in more than $1 billion — and coincided with the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. Four Big Ten teams qualified, two advanced to the semifinals, and Ohio State won the tournament.

Sixteen of the league’s schools are fully vested members and received full shares, but their total amounts varied by CFP participation. Ohio State secured $91.55 million, Penn State earned $88.9 million, and Indiana collected $81 million, while 13 other members collected between $76 million and $79 million. Oregon and Washington receive only partial shares until 2030 and earned $48 million and $46 million, respectively. Oregon competed in the 2024-25 CFP, which explains the $2 million difference.

As part of his retirement package, former Commissioner Jim Delany totaled $5.82 million in bonuses and deferred compensation plus $600,000 in consulting fees. Delany retired on Jan. 2, 2020. Current Commissioner Tony Petitti reported more than $4.5 million in compensation.

Among other expenses, the Big Ten spent more than $6 million on legal fees and $5 million on officiating technology.

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May 2nd

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National Transfer Portal numbers: 88% found new homes

… But less than half of Power Four transfers landed in Power Four conferences … 

From The Athletic … The transfer portal has been closed since mid-January. Rosters aren’t completely set — players in the portal can sign with a new school up until the start of classes in the fall — but the majority of transfers have selected their next destination.

So it’s a good time to crunch some portal numbers and compare the findings to what transpired in previous years.

The NCAA has tracked FBS football transfers since 2023 but hasn’t released its numbers for 2026 yet. We’ll share our own calculations shortly, but one thing is clear: Despite a narrative to the contrary, scholarship football players are finding homes.

Last year, of the 3,264 FBS scholarship players who entered the transfer portal, 85 percent (2,762) transferred and received aid at their next school, 12 percent remained active in the portal (399) and 3 percent (103) transferred to a new school and did not receive aid. (The players who remained active in the portal either returned to school or stopped playing football.)

That 85 percent represents an increase from the 81 percent of transfers who received aid at their new schools in the 2024 cycle and the 77 percent who did so in 2023.

This year, close to 76 percent (2,556) of the more than 3,300 FBS scholarship players who entered the portal have signed with a new school, according to SportSource Analytics and Tracking Football. More than 450 are still in the portal and can sign with a school until classes begin in the fall.

Where did the departures end up?

Of the 1,760 players who left Power 4 schools, nearly half (859) ended up staying at the P4 level, roughly 32 percent (559) moved down to the Group of 6 and a little under 8 percent (135) signed with programs below the FBS level.

No Power 4 program signed more transfers than Oklahoma State’s 53. New coach Eric Morris brought 16 players from his former school, North Texas, headlined by star quarterback Drew Mestemaker and standout running back Caleb Hawkins.

Six of the next seven teams on the list — Iowa State (47), Colorado (43), Arkansas (42), UCLA (41), LSU (40), Auburn (39) and Penn State (38) — are led by new head coaches as well. Colorado’s Deion Sanders, who has signed 171 transfers combined since landing in Boulder in 2023, is the only returning coach in the top eight.

No program lost more players to the portal than Oklahoma State, which saw 66 players leave Stillwater after the coaching change. Less than half (29) signed with other P4 programs. Iowa State was next on the list with 55 departures, with 23 following coach Matt Campbell to Happy Valley. No program was a bigger feeder to other P4 schools than the Cyclones, with 37 ending up in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or SEC.

West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez said goodbye to 50 players via the portal following his first season back in Morgantown. Only nine of those players ended up at other P4 programs.

Penn State (47 departures) and Michigan State (44) were the only other P4 programs to lose more than 40 players to the portal.

… Continue reading story here …

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