Noteworthy Notes and Quotes from Big 12 Media Days

The Big 12 kicked off Talking Season in college football by proclaiming itself among the three best conferences in all of the sport. Commissioner Brett Yormark said exactly that after raiding the Pac-12 for some of its parts and stealing their venue at Allegiant Stadium.

“We solidified ourselves as one of the top three conferences in America,” Yorkmark said. 

“There has never been a better time than right now to be part of the Big 12. We are truly a national conference in 10 states, four time zones and all eyes are now on the Big 12 for all the right reasons. I think it’s safe to say we are more relevant now than ever before.”

The Big 12 added Coach Prime’s Colorado program, yet Mike Gundy assured that wasn’t the biggest circus in Las Vegas. We’ll detour away from those two heat-seeking missiles to share some of the best of the rest from the speaking event.

The Holy War goes to the Big 12

During the latest round of expansion, the Big 12 added the two Arizona schools, but those weren’t the most valuable properties added in recent years. Last year BYU brought a large national audience. This year Utah joins the fold as one of the most consistent programs in college football. That’s not expected to change, voted by the league to win the conference in its first year.

The Holy War is an underrated rivalry for college football fans outside of the West Coast. The two teams are sharing a conference for the first time since they split from the Mountain West in 2010. Ahead of his seventh(!) college football season, quarterback Cam Rising shared a little smack talk that moved the needle.

“I want to go down there and whoop their ass, pretty much,” Rising said succinctly. I expect nothing less from the vet, who is technically eligible for an eighth season in 2025.

Gus Malzahn Plays a Dangerous Game

UCF didn’t exactly have a banner year in its Big 12 debut, finishing 3-6 in the league to post a 6-7 overall record. QB John Rhys Plumlee‘s injury put the Knights behind the 8-ball, losing three games by a combined four points.

Malzahn hit the portal hard this offseason and his biggest win was at quarterback, attracting former Arkansas Razorback KJ Jefferson to Orlando. Jefferson is a big, mobile athlete who’s an ideal fit for Malzahn’s system, but Gus might’ve set the bar a bit too high for his new quarterback.

“Physically, he’s the closest thing to Cam (Newton) that I’ve had. He’s like a running back. He throws a great deep ball. We’re a run, play-action team with emphasis on throwing the ball downfield.”

Comparing anyone to the Heisman Trophy winner is foolish. However, UCF was picked to finish eighth in the league and that feels a tad disrespectful. I expect a big bounceback for the Golden Knights this fall.

Paying Players = Recruiting Success

When NIL entered the world of college athletics, there were very few rules in place. There was only one, you cannot pay for play. No one was naive enough to think that was actually the case, but coaches tiptoed around the topic publicly. Those days are over.

When Dave Aranda was asked about the Bear’s recent recruiting success, the Baylor coach answered, “We’re paying players.” It was a bit shocking to hear, but nobody’s calling him a liar.

Neal Brown Plays the Underdog Card

Ahead of last year’s Big 12 Media Days, West Virginia was picked to finish last in the conference. Head coach Neal Brown took issue with that when he stepped to the podium, then promptly proved his naysayers incorrect by rattling off a 9-4 campaign, his best in Morgantown. Even though they rose up in this year’s preseason predictions, he’s playing the same card ahead of the 2024 season.

“We’re picked seventh in the league, and we’re not in most of these preseason top-25 [polls], so I think there’s a similar dynamic that works with this team, too,” Brown said.

Colorado is Everybody’s Super Bowl

Even though I didn’t want to exclusively focus on Colorado and Mike Gundy, Coach Prime’s program did steal most of the headlines this week.

“I’m judged on a different scale. My wins are totally different than your wins,” was the quote Deion Sanders gave that drew the most attention.

His son’s quote popped off the page a little more. Shedeur Sanders, the top-rated QB in the new College Football ’25, is ready for all eyes to be on him and Colorado this fall.

“I already know the expectation that comes with it,” he said. “I know we’re everybody’s Super Bowl, so I’m just staying level-headed, stay grounded because I would never want to be that guy who can’t take advantage of the moment that we’re having right now.”

The program may not carry the same historical weight as others around the Big 12, but you better believe that everyone in the conference is licking their chops at a chance to put the Buffs in their place.