Once the calendar makes its way past America’s birthday, college football becomes tangible. That ability to hold and cuddle it starts with media days. Coaches ascend to talk about how “together” the team is and how improved key players are. It gives fans the first real chance to drown themselves in their team’s Kool-Aid. They can remain on a hopeful sugar rush until September. So, if all coaches sound the same at these events, does anyone actually say anything noteworthy? The good news is that Last Word has plucked out the tastiest morsels from Big 12 media days that ushered in the 2024 talkin’ season.
Big 12 Media Days Takeaways
Yormark “Still Open For Business”
It was hard to ignore the irony that Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark took the stage on the field in which the Pac 12 played its last conference championship. This is the same man who, from day one, told everyone that his conference was “open for business“. His public courting of the four corner schools – Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah, never ended until he secured their membership. His aggressiveness in pursuing the strongest version of the Big 12 that he can build has not stopped and his remarks reflected this tactic.
“This is not the time to press pause,” Yormark said after asked about further expansion. Yormark also stated, “I will not stop until we are the number one conference in America.” He also was not shy at taking shots at other conferences, specifically the ACC. “We’ve solidified ourselves as one of the top three conferences in America,” Yormark said in his opening remarks of Big 12 media days. Plenty of smoke began to rise around Florida State and Clemson later in the day as potential targets to be poached.
However, the Big 12 commissioner knows in order to make that pipe dream a reality, he must close the revenue gap with the Big 10 and the SEC. Discussion of selling the naming rights to the conference and private equity have been the two big ideas hovering around his desk and conversations. Yormark stated that a decision around private equity should be done in “the next few months.”
DUI Accountability Takes Odd Twists And Turns
Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon made headlines after a June 30 arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence. To his credit, he showed up to Big 12 media days and answered questions about it all day. This is the type of accountability that should be applauded. However, his coach, Mike Gundy, stepped in the way of letting this story run its natural course. Gundy’s decision not to suspend Gordon for the incident was a slight head-scratcher, but he’s trying to win games.
College football is more of a professional entity than it has ever been. Winning is paramount. If 18–22-year-olds are “molded into men” as a secondary result of playing, great. But if he wanted to send a morality message, he would have suspended him for six games. “I’ve already made the decisions that I think what’s best for [Gordon] and this team…and then after today (Big 12 media days), it’s over,” Gundy said.
But it was his comments in a later interview on ESPN that breathed new life into the story. Gundy, who often time rambles like a professor with tenure rather than a coach who could be on the hot seat, did some of his own homework. Gundy’s calculations determined his star running back had “two or three beers” and that he easily could have been guilty of the 1,000 times. Gundy failed to acknowledge that Gordon is only 20 years old and allegedly had open containers in the car as well. The Oklahoma State head coach would later clarify his comments that “We are all guilty of making bad decisions. It was not a reference to something specific.” Gundy provided a very honest, and frankly, relatable take on Gordon’s event. However, those types of comments kept a story alive longer than it needed to.
Coach Prime Sounded Like…A Football Coach
The charm and charisma of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders never stops shining. As he took the Big 12 media days stage, he did so with sunglasses on while in the much-needed air-conditioned controlled dome of Allegiant Stadium. He has made some waves this off-season with comments about players who are no longer on the team. But, in front of the Big 12 media, he sounded more like the coach of a Power Four football team.
He opened with some high praise for his commissioner, “I think we have the best commissioner in football…He’s a baller, he’s a shotcaller.” Sanders also offered high praise to Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire. “My son Junior played for Coach McGuire in high school. Joey has been the same consistent, great coach that he’s always been. Joey, if you’re out there, I love you, I appreciate you. Keep on doing what you do, except when we come to play you.” When asked about opening the season with perennial FCS power North Dakota State, Sanders gave a very candid response. “They’re really dern good, man…I’m mad at (AD) Rick (George) right now for putting them on the schedule to open up with them. Can you give me a layup?…That program is second to none.”
The most “controversial” thing Sanders stated was in regard to how he is evaluated. Sanders stated “I’m judged on a different scale. My wins are totally different than your wins.” He further explained that to be tied to stuff off the field (grades, students staying out of trouble, etc.). The Buffalo’s coach also touched on NIL and athlete compensation. Sanders says he’s concerned with players who are putting the bag before the game. “If you have the game, the bag is going to come.”
Big 12 Media Days Quick Hitters
- Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham finds his team near the bottom of the conference in multiple rankings. He had some interesting comments about his team’s preparation for crowd noise in a way that they hadn’t in the Pac-12. He stated that in only “one-and-half games” last year did they have to use a silent count (ASU’s road games included Washington, Utah, UCLA, and Cal). He mentioned that the Sun Devils are going to have to practice a silent count more than ever with the Big 12 crowds.
- Baylor head coach Dave Aranda has been finding some renewed success on the recruiting trail. When he asked what the reason for this was, Aranda answered in the bluntest 2024 coaching answer, “We’re paying players.” Anyone who has been a college football fan for longer than the last four years can appreciate how weird it is for a coach to respond like that and it does not cause any controversy with his honesty.
- Kansas’ home stadium is undergoing major renovations and will not be played on in 2023. Head coach Lance Leipold shared how different the upcoming season will be by stating, “We’re practicing on grass more than we ever have. Part of me feels bad that (30+ seniors) don’t get to play in Lawrence this year or get a chance to play in the new stadium when it is renovated. But then there’s a part that’s excited because…we have a chance to play in an NFL stadium for conference games.” Leipold also made it clear that star quarterback Jalon Daniels is healthy. “He (Daniels) wouldn’t be here today if we didn’t think he was going to be ready to go for this season.”
- BYU head coach Kalani Sitake gave all parents a smile at Big 12 media days. He compared the Cougars’ first season in Big 12 to being a first-time parent. “Before we had kids, we had all these opinions on how you should raise your children. Rolled your eyes when people brought their children to movie theaters. [But] then, when we had our own child, it was like “Man, we didn’t know anything.” We just had to go through that experience. So, it’s hard to get everyone ready for that. You just have to go through it.”
- UCF head coach Gus Malzahn had high praise for his transfer quarterback K.J. Jefferson. “Physically, he’s the closest thing to Cam (Newton) that I’ve had. [He] has a skill set that fits what we really like to do. I recruited him out of high school, so we know each other well. [H]e was one of the better offensive players in the SEC.”
