Big 12 Notes

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Big 12 Notes – Postseason

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February 6th

SEC distributions for 2023-24 almost $52.6 million per team (CU got $33 million in last year of Pac-12)

… Distributions to Pac-12 teams for 2022-23 was roughly $33 million per team … 

From ESPN … The Southeastern Conference distributed an average of almost $52.6 million to the 14 full-year members for the 2023-24 season in a slight increase from the previous year, according to its tax filing.

The league announced its revenue figures and released its tax filing Thursday for the fiscal year that ended in August, which included Oklahoma and Texas joining the league in July to expand the SEC to 16 schools. The Sooners and Longhorns each received $27.5 million in what the league described in a news release as “transition payments,” accounting for a mix of TV agreements and refundable application fees from a previous fiscal year.

Overall, the league reported a slight dip in total revenue, going from about $852.6 million for the 2022-23 season to $839.7 million for 2023-24. Yet the league distributed more money to its full-year members, going from reporting about $718 million for 2022-23 to $790.7 million for 2023-24 when factoring in the partial amounts for Oklahoma and Texas.

That doesn’t reflect what the arrival of the former Big 12 programs will mean to the SEC in the coming years.

As a result, the league’s average full-member payout increased from about $51.3 million for 14 schools for 2022-23. It also marked the third time in four seasons that the league’s full-member payout had averaged better than $50 million, with a peak of $54.6 million for the 2020-21 season.

… Continue reading story here …

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February 5th

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Big 12 odds: CU at 16:1 to win Big 12; 200:1 to win national championship

From FanDuel.com …

CU’s over/under win total … 6.5 wins (CU was at 3.5 over/under wins for 2023, finishing 4-8; 5.5 wins for 2024, finishing 9-4);

CU’s National championship odds … 200:1 … other schools at 200:1 include: Illinois; Duke; Iowa State; Tulane; Arkansas; TCU; Syracuse; North Carolina State; and Virginia Tech

Opening game … CU v. Georgia Tech … CU is a 4.5-point home underdog

Big 12 championship odds … 

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February 4th

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Big 12 Schedules (and effects on games v. CU)

… Noteworthy from the Big 12 scheduling (schedule grid for every Big 12 game can be seen below) … 

• Colorado has seven home games for the first time since 1982. The quirk in the schedule (which is common for most other Power Four programs) came about as a result of CU having a home-and-home series against Houston, scheduled before CU joined the Big 12. CU picked up a game against Delaware when the Houston games were cancelled. CU will also have seven home games in 2027, with a cancelled road game against Kansas State replaced by a home game against Colgate;
• Ten of the Big 12’s 16 teams have back-to-back road games over the course of the season … CU is not one of them;
• Colorado is the only team in the Big 12 which plays seven games this fall before its first bye week. The Buffs don’t get a bye week until October 18th;
• Iowa State and Kansas State will kickoff the season with a Week Zero game in Dublin, Ireland. The only other neutral site game to be played before bowl season will be a game between Cincinnati and Nebraska in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium;
• CU’s bye weeks are before a road game against Utah and a home game against Arizona State. The only Big 12 team which has a bye week before facing the Buffs is Arizona, which has a bye before coming to Boulder on November 1st;
• BYU plays CU in Boulder after traveling to the east coast to face East Carolina … and then has a short week before playing West Virginia at home on a Friday night;
• Colorado plays Arizona State at home after a bye, while Arizona State will play the Buffs before having a short week to prepare for the Territorial Cup at home against Arizona;
• Houston doesn’t leave town until the last weekend in September. The Cougars play Stephen F. Austin at home, then play on the road against cross-town rival Rice, before playing CU at home (with a bye the following week);
• Iowa State travels to Boulder a week after having to go on the road to face Cincinnati;
• Kansas State finishes at home against CU, but has two road games – at Oklahoma State and at Utah – before taking on the Buffs;
• Utah gets CU at home … a weekend after taking on BYU on the road in the Holy War.

From the Big 12 … Today, the Big 12 Conference announced its 2025 football schedule as the league celebrates its 30th football season. The schedule will see all 16 programs play nine league games.

The 30th year of Big 12 Football will kickoff in Dublin, Ireland, as Iowa State and Kansas State square off in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. This marks the first-ever Week 0 Conference game for the Big 12, as well as the first time a Big 12 competition has been held abroad. Following 15 weeks of action, the Big 12 season will conclude with the 2025 Big 12 Championship Game, held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, in the first week of December.

The Big 12 will play 14 games against opponents from other Power Four conferences throughout non-conference play, with matchups beginning in Week One with Cincinnati hosting Nebraska at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, TCU playing at North Carolina and Oklahoma State taking on Oregon in Eugene the following week. Other notable non-conference games on Big 12 campuses include Baylor versus Auburn, Colorado hosting Georgia Tech, Iowa State’s rivalry game against Iowa and UCF versus North Carolina.

Defending Big 12 Champions Arizona State will kick off their conference slate in Waco against Baylor on Sept. 20, while a rematch of the 2024 Alamo Bowl will see BYU and Colorado square off in Boulder on Sept. 27. The Conference schedule also features early league match-ups with Houston hosting Colorado in the third week of the season.

Newly-renovated David Booth Stadium will see its first Big 12 matchup on Sept. 20 as the Jayhawks host newly-minted head coach Rich Rodriguez and his West Virginia Mountaineers. UCF head coach Scott Frost will make his Big 12 debut as the Knights travel to Manhattan to battle the 2022 Big 12 Champions, Kansas State, on Sept. 27. Texas Tech – who boasts the top ranking in the transfer portal- will travel to Salt Lake City and Rice-Eccles Stadium as the Utes and Red Raiders square-off in Week Four.

New chapters will be added to Big 12 rivalries throughout the season, including Baylor’s game at TCU in Week Eight with Utah traveling to BYU in the same week. The Sunflower Showdown between Kansas and Kansas State is scheduled for October 25 with the Territorial Cup between Arizona and Arizona State set for the final week of the regular season.

To fulfill pre-existing scheduling agreements established before the Big 12 expanded to 16 members, Arizona and Kansas State will play a non-conference game in Week Three in Tucson.

Big 12 television partners ESPN, FOX and TNT Sports will make their selections for the first three weeks of the season, which will be the first set of kickoff times released. Select Saturday games in the 2025 season may be moved to select Fridays, other special dates, and Black Friday and will be announced in the coming weeks.

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February 2nd

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The Athletic: BYU the majority pick to win the Big 12 in 2025

From The Athletic … Will Ohio State repeat? Can Arch Manning lead Texas back to championship glory? Which teams will re-enter the College Football Playoff conversation after missing the bracket in 2024?

We’re already thinking ahead to all the possibilities of the 2025 college football season. After Stewart Mandel published his initial Top 25 last Tuesday, led by Penn State at No. 1, we’re back with a survey of 31 college football writers and editors at The Athletic for their early national championship, Heisman Trophy, conference title and Playoff picks — plus some bold predictions.

Who will win the national championship?

• Texas … 15
• LSU … 4
• Penn State … 3
• Georgia … 2
• Ohio State … 2
• Oregon .. 2
• Alabama … 1
• Clemson … 1
• Notre Dame … 1

Who will win the Big 12 championship?

• BYU … 16
• Arizona State … 5
• Iowa State … 4
• Kansas State … 4
• Baylor … 1
• TCU … 1

BYU lost a four-way tiebreaker to Arizona State and Iowa State at 7-2 in the Big 12 title game race, and our staff likes the Cougars to sustain their 2024 success and jump to the top of the league in 2025. More than half of voters picked BYU, which returns quarterback Jake Retzlaff and is No. 10 in Mandel’s Top 25. Arizona State, which received five votes, is aiming for a second consecutive title but will have to do it without All-American tailback Cam Skattebo.

Not surprisingly, the Big 12 had the widest variety of conference championship choices, with six of 16 teams receiving a vote. One voter also declared that Kansas will make the Playoff.

… Read full story here …

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February 1st

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Nebraska cancels Spring Game (for fear of losing players to transfer)

From ESPN … The Nebraska spring game, one of the best attended in college football and a major revenue producer, likely won’t be held going forward because of coach Matt Rhule’s concern about other teams poaching his players.

“The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore,” Rhule said Saturday at his midwinter news conference. “It’s just an absolute free open common market. I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world and have people watch our guys and say, ‘He looks like a pretty good player. Let’s go get him.'”

“I dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after that,” Rhule said. “So you go out and bring in a bunch of new players and showcase them for all the other schools to watch? Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

Six Nebraska players entered the transfer portal the week after last year’s spring game.

The spring portal period ends April 25, the day before Nebraska’s spring practice wraps up. However, players can switch schools without entering the portal, as was the case with Wisconsin safety Xavier Lucas’ recent move to Miami.

Rhule said exposing his players to other schools is more of a concern to him than risking injuries in a spring game. Wide receiver Demitrius Bell and cornerback Blye Hill were hurt in last year’s spring game and missed the season. Rhule said live tackling will continue in scrimmages during spring practice.

“Guys are being compensated now, and you’re putting money behind some people, a whole other set of parameters,” Rhule said. “Yet, at the same time, you have to get good. Honestly, to me, it’s about protecting the roster and protecting through that portal period.”

… Read full story here …

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January 31st 

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Big 12 (CU’s) contracts with players two-tiered: one pre-House; one after House settlement kicks in

… The example used in the story is from a “Big 12 school”, but, with CU having already moving the collective payouts in house, this may well be the contracts CU is using … 

From CBS Sports … If the agreed-upon settlement of the House v. NCAA court case is approved in April by California-based Judge Claudia Wilken, it will usher in an era in which schools in the Power Five conferences can directly pay athletes for their name, image, and likeness. It is a progression of the messy post-2021 world of athlete compensation. But how exactly are contracts structured? Nothing in college sports is uniform, and even player compensation structures will vary from school to school.

How athlete contracts are structured

CBS Sports reviewed four athlete compensation agreements to shed light on how schools are preparing for the coming revenue-sharing reality. Two agreements involve football players at separate Big Ten schools, one at an SEC school, and another at a Big 12 school. These agreements illustrate the differing ways schools are structuring contracts in the new athlete compensation landscape.

Big 12 school: A two-part agreement

The Big 12 school’s agreement is the most straightforward. The player signed two agreements regarding his NIL rights:

• One is with the school’s collective through the NIL platform Opendorse, covering compensation through June.
• The second kicks in afterward — an agreement between the athlete and the school itself, co-signed by the school’s athletic director. The latter is what the House settlement allows schools to provide.

Both agreements serve as term sheets in lieu of long-form contracts, which will come later. The term sheet signed with the school lays out a payment schedule beginning July 1 and is contingent on the final approval of the House case.

Postseason incentives & participation

The Big 12 athlete will receive equal monthly payments from July through November, but the deal is backloaded. In December, he will earn a standard month’s pay plus a 150% increase — essentially a bowl bonus. This structure helps address postseason participation concerns in college football.

The future of the bowl system beyond the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff will be a hot topic as bowl contracts come up for renewal. Bowls are expected to push for ways to safeguard their games as players opt out and transfer in December. This type of contract structuring is one way schools can help.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 30th

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First Week Big 12 lines: CU a 4.5-point home underdog

From FanDuel.com … Hard to believe, but there are already some first game betting lines. Some Week Zero/Week One Big 12 games …

• Iowa State v. Kansas State (Week Zero) … Kansas State is a 2.5-point favorite (Game to be played in Dublin, Ireland)
• Auburn at Baylor (Week One) … Baylor is a 1.5-point home underdog …
• TCU at North Carolina (Week One) … TCU is a 2.5-point road underdog …
• Georgia Tech at Colorado (Week One) … Colorado is a 4.5-point home underdog …

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January 28th

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National champion Ohio State ran at a $37 million deficit last fiscal year

… Related … CU Buffs athletics set records for revenue, expenses in 2024 fiscal year … from the Daily Camera 

From On3Sports …Ohio State’s athletic department reported an operating deficit of more than $37 million during the most recent fiscal year, according to a report from The Columbus Dispatch.

“The athletic department spent a record $292.7 million from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, while it also saw a dip in overall revenue,” Joey Kaufman wrote. “It brought in $254.9 million in total operating revenues over the period, a decline of $24.6 million from the previous fiscal year, contributing to the budget shortfall.”

The university expected to be in the red since last summer, according to the report.

“While last year’s budget impact is not ideal and there were unique circumstances at play, we have a robust expense and revenue plan that has been implemented and have made great progress in this ever-changing landscape of college athletics,” Ohio State AD Ross Bjork said in a statement. “We will make sure we operate with a balanced budget moving forward.”

Reserve funds and past and future earnings are expected to cover the $37.7 million deficit, according to the report.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 27th

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First year Big 12 Coaches receive “C” and “D” grades

From CBS Sports … The first-year hits came from unexpected places on the 2024 coaching carousel after college football grappled with a series of seismic openings late in the calendar. Nick Saban’s January retirement set off dominoes that led to coaching changes at Washington, Arizona, San Jose State, South Alabama and Buffalo.

Jim Harbaugh also jolted the sport’s coaching ecosystem by departing Michigan for the Los Angeles Chargers after leading the Wolverines to the national championship. That left both teams that participated in the national championship game (Michigan and Washington) with coaching changes entering the 2025 season. Then, in February, Chip Kelly left his post as UCLA coach for the offensive coordinator position at Ohio State in a surprising move that left the Bruins little choice but to promote from within.

But as we reflect back on the 2024 coaching carousel, the biggest immediate winners didn’t come from the most high-profile openings. Instead, the two ‘A+’ grades from the Power Four changes come from Indiana (Curt Cignetti) and Syracuse (Fran Brown). The pair of basketball schools got immediate results from their coaching changes that not many could have reasonably expected.

Arizona … 4-8 … Brent Brennan … Arizona retained star quarterback Noah Fifita and star receiver Tetairoa McMillan after Jedd Fisch’s departure, which created hope of sustained success. It didn’t pan out as the Wildcats failed to beat a single bowl team during a miserable 4-8 campaign marked by several blowout losses. Grade … D

Houston … 4-8 … Willie Fritz … Fritz somehow managed to coax victories over TCU, Utah and Kansas State out of a team that ranked 128th in total offense. If Fritz can unlock the potential of incoming Texas A&M quarterback transfer Conner Weigman, Year 2 progress could be in store. Grade … C

… Read full story here …

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January 26th 

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Stewart Mandel’s “Way Too Early Top 25” includes two Big 12 teams in his Top Ten

From The Athletic … Five years ago, this was a fairly simple exercise: Rank Alabama either No. 1 or 2, then drop Ohio State, Clemson or Georgia immediately before or after. Look like a genius 365 days later.

But these days, it takes the GDP of a small country to keep a roster intact in college football. Ohio State spent the money to do it in 2024. Penn State is trying to do it in 2025.

The Nittany Lions, who very nearly reached this year’s national championship game, are my early No. 1 for next season. I’m skeptical they can actually pull it off, but on paper, James Franklin’s team deserves that status given how many players are returning.

That’s in contrast to other top-ranked teams such as Ohio State (losing most of its lineup), Notre Dame (losing the middle of its defense) and Texas — which does have Arch Manning but will need to figure out who will protect him.

9. Arizona State (11-3)

There’s no reason ASU can’t contend for another Big 12 championship. While it loses all-everything running back Cam Skattebo, it brings back nearly everyone else and landed 1,117-yard rusher Udoh from Army. Eight starters return from a defense that allowed 19.2 points per game during its six-game winning streak to end the regular season and held its own against Texas in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss.

10. BYU (11-2)

BYU spent most of the season in CFP contention, and there’s no reason the Cougars can’t break through and win the Big 12 in 2025. The conference schedule is challenging, with trips to Colorado, Iowa State and Texas Tech. BYU will enjoy continuity on offense, beginning with Retzlaff — who became a cult hero in his first season in Provo — whereas the defense loses much of its leadership. Special teams could be a strength.

19. Baylor (8-5)

From the depths of a 2-4 start, Baylor won six straight to close the regular season before falling 44-31 to LSU in the Texas Bowl. The Bears offense exploded over the last two months, led by Robertson, who threw for 445 yards in the bowl game, and many of the key pieces will be back. But the defense, which ranked 10th in the Big 12 in yards per play in conference games, will need to improve if Baylor hopes to make a run at a Playoff berth.

23. Kansas State (9-4)

K-State’s 44-41 bowl win over Rutgers saw Edwards step in for NFL-bound DJ Giddens and race to 196 yards on 18 carries. He and Johnson, who threw for 2,712 yards and ran for 605 last season, could be hard for defenses to stop. But Chris Klieman needs to upgrade his defense to get the Wildcats back in Big 12 title contention. Maldonado, who has 177 career tackles and 10 forced turnovers, should be a valuable addition.

… Read full story here …

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January 25th

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*Video: Fox Top 25 plays of 2024 (CU involved in five, including the Top Two)*

… A season to remember … CU in on No. 25, No. 21, No. 8, No. 2 and No. 1 … 

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January 23rd 

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CU in 11 of Top 100 most-watched games of 2024 season (second highest-total in the nation)

From FootballScoop.com … To the victor go the spoils, as the saying goes, and in college football the spoils are television viewers. For the second consecutive season, the national champion played in (and won, obviously) the three most-watched games of the college football season.

ESPN announced on Wednesday that 22 million people and change tuned in to Ohio State’s victory over Notre Dame, ending the longest and most turbulent season in the sport’s century-and-half long history.

Appearances by network: 
45: ABC
21: ESPN
17: Fox
8: CBS
7: NBC
2: TNT

The Big 12 and ACC both have points in their favor. While the SEC and Big Ten have broken away as the sport’s superpowers, an intense battle remains to be college football’s No. 3 conference. Both conferences will come away from 2024 their own talking points.

The Big 12 edged the ACC in total appearances, 26-20. However, the ACC will argue the Big 12’s appeal boils down to one factor: the Prime Effect. Colorado easily led both conferences with 11 total appearances, and the Buffaloes are responsible for BYU, Kansas, West Virginia and Utah’s appearances on the list, and for Kansas State and Texas Tech’s regular season appearances. The Big 12 did not have a non-Colorado regular-season game crack the top 100, while the ACC had four such games.

Appearances by conference:
82: SEC
56: Big Ten
26: Big 12
20: ACC

Appearances by program: 
12: Ohio State
11: Colorado, Georgia, Texas
9: Alabama
8: Michigan, Penn State
7: Tennessee
6: Florida, LSU, Nebraska, Notre Dame
4: Georgia Tech, Indiana, Miami, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina

… Read full story here …

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January 22nd 

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CBS also has four Big 12 teams in its “Way Too Early” Preseason Top 25 (but not the same as ESPN’s)

From CBS Sports … Welcome to the year of Arch and Gunner and Carson … and some other bits of madness as we ease into Year 2 of the 12-team College Football Playoff era in the 2025 season. In the way-too-early top 25, you shouldn’t need formal introductions. We are referring to the stars of tomorrow, today.

Arch Manning (finally) takes over at quarterback for Texas as the Longhorns sit as out preseason No. 1 (for now). Georgia is just fine with Gunner Stockton, the backup turned starter who reminds a lot of folks of two-time national champion Stetson Bennett. Speaking of former Georgia quarterbacks, Carson Beck takes his talents to Miami thanks to a boatload of NIL money.

What, you expected this to be all about on-field topics? Any discussion of the game these days has to involve roster transition. Every team in these rankings has had to remake itself in some form or another — in a hurry.

For now, be very excited about the likes of the Longhorns, Bulldogs, Buckeyes, Nittany Lions, Ducks and Tigers running it back to the playoff in 2025.

The SEC will try to break a streak of missing out on the CFP National Championship in two consecutive seasons. The Big Ten, meanwhile, will try to continue its rise to the top of the food chain in the sport.

In this climate, though, nothing lasts forever, or even a few minutes. As we look ahead to the 2025 season, we’re riding with the Longhorns as the top team in the sport. They’ve proven worthy of participating in the playoff, and now it has the chops to win it all.

… From the Big 12 … 

No. 13 … BYU ... The Cougars should emerge as the Big 12 favorite after an 11-win season. The league’s best defense remains largely intact. Jake Retzlaff returns after tying for most interceptions thrown in the Big 12 (12).

No. 16 … Arizona State … Big 12 Coach of the Year Kenny Dillingham is the toast of the league after taking the Sun Devils from worst (picked last before the season) to first. Quarterback Sam Leavitt gets his favorite target back from injury — Jordan Tyson (1,100 receiving yards). Army transfer running back Kanye Udoh (1,641 career years) will try to replace Cam Scattebo.

No. 19 … Iowa State … The Cyclones are coming off the most wins in program history (11). Inspirational quarterback Rocco Becht is back. So is the backfield of Carl Hansen and Abu Sama II, who combined for 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns.

No. 24 … Texas Tech … The Red Raiders are ready to bust out in Year 4 under Joey McGuire. It’s a remake as McGuire brought in 17 transfers, including seven four-stars (No. 3 class nationally.) Tech won eight for the second time in three years including wins over the Big 12 championship finalists Arizona State and Iowa State. Quarterback Behren Morton returns from shoulder surgery.

… Read full story here …

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January 21st

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ESPN’s “Way Too Early” Preseason Top 25 includes four Big 12 teams

From ESPN … Ohio State’s high-powered offense proved to be too much for Notre Dame in the Buckeyes’ 34-23 victory in Monday’s national title game.

The Buckeyes captured their first national title in 10 years and first under coach Ryan Day. It was the school’s seventh national championship overall.

Even with Ohio State having a boatload of players who are expected to move on and be chosen in April’s NFL draft, the Buckeyes are No. 1 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2025.

The Buckeyes will still have star players, such as receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs, and they’ll plug holes with another top recruiting class and group of transfers.

Ohio State will be looking for a new quarterback as well, but it won’t be alone among the potential CFP contenders. Notre Dame, Texas, Georgia, Oregon and others will be developing new signal-callers, too.

Here’s the 2025 ESPN Way-Too-Early Top 25:

From the Big 12 … 

9. BYU Cougars

2024 record: 11-2, 7-2 Big 12

2025 outlook: If the 2024 season was any indication, you could probably pick any of four teams (or more) to win a Big 12 title. Arizona State, BYU and Colorado were unlikely contenders this past season, and the Cougars are bringing back top playmakers Retzlaff, Martin, Roberts and Marion. There are a couple of starters who will have to be replaced on the offensive line, but reinforcements from the transfer portal should help. On defense, four of the top five tacklers should return, although BYU will have to reload up front. Kalani Sitake has built a solid program that should contend in the Big 12 each season. The Cougars won’t play Arizona State or Kansas State during the regular season, and road games at Iowa State and Colorado might be tricky.

11. Iowa State Cyclones

2024 record: 11-3, 7-2 Big 12

2025 outlook: After one of the best seasons in program history (the Cyclones had never won 10 games or more), there’s one goal left for Matt Campbell to achieve — win the program’s first conference title in 113 years. With Becht and two good tailbacks returning, Iowa State has some firepower returning on offense. But it will greatly miss Noel and Higgins, who each caught at least 80 passes with more than 1,100 yards in 2024. Iowa State is bringing in transfer receivers Xavier Townsend (UCF) and Chase Sowell (East Carolina). A few key contributors are leaving on defense, but much of one of the better secondaries in the FBS is coming back. The Cyclones play Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland, to open the season and will host BYU and Arizona State at home.

14. Arizona State Sun Devils

2024 record: 11-3, 7-2 Big 12

2025 outlook: There’s no question the Sun Devils are going to face an uphill climb in replacing Skattebo’s production on offense. Not only did the All-America running back pile up 1,711 yards with 21 touchdowns on the ground, but he had 605 receiving yards and even threw for a score. Kanye Udoh, who ran for 1,117 yards with 10 touchdowns at Army last season, should be first in line to replace Skattebo. ASU brings back some key players in Leavitt and Tyson, who were outstanding in their first seasons in the desert. Cornerbacks Nyland Green (Purdue) and Adrian Wilson (Washington State) might help shore up a secondary that ranked 81st against the pass (226.7 yards) in 2024.

16. Kansas State Wildcats

2024 record: 9-4, 5-4 Big 12

2025 outlook: The Wildcats won at least nine games for the third straight season in 2024, and their record would have been better if not for dropping three of their last four regular-season games. Johnson is back after piling up 3,317 yards of offense with 32 scores. Replacing Giddens won’t be easy, but onetime Colorado player Edwards ran for 546 yards last season. Brown’s decision to return bolsters the receiver corps, which added Jerand Bradley (Boston College), Jaron Tibbs (Purdue) and Caleb Medford (New Mexico). Mott, Moore and Sigle were key players on defense. Cornerback Amarion Fortenberry (South Alabama), safety Gunner Maldonado (Arizona) and edge player Jayshawn Ross (Alabama) were intriguing pickups from the portal. Kansas State opens the season against Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, and plays Army at home.

Teams also considered: Auburn, Texas Tech, Missouri, Georgia Tech (CU’s 2025 opener), Baylor, Duke, Washington, Nebraska, Iowa, Army, Colorado

… Read full story here …

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January 16th

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Details of the contract extension for ASU’s Kenny Dillingham

From ESPN … Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham is getting a big raise following the Sun Devils’ unexpected trip to the College Football Playoff.

The Arizona Board of Regents approved on Thursday a contract extension for Dillingham through 2029 and a salary increase to $5.8 million starting this year, with a $100,000 increase each Jan. 1 for the duration of the term. He made $4.1 million last season.

The contract includes one-year extensions and raises for reaching certain benchmarks, up to a $450,000 increase for an 11-win season.

The 34-year-old Dillingham orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in recent college football history, taking the No. 10 Sun Devils from three wins a year ago to the New Year’s Day Peach Bowl against No. 4 Texas. Arizona State mounted a massive comeback in the CFP quarterfinal behind running back Cam Skattebo before losing 39-31 in double overtime.

Dillingham picked up significant bonuses during Arizona State’s run, which included a Big 12 championship in the Sun Devils’ first year in the league after being picked to finish last in the preseason poll.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 13th

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ESPN: CU quarterback Kaidon Salter one of the top five transfer “fits” this cycle

From ESPN … The final two teams in the College Football Playoff are led by transfer quarterbacks who found the right scheme and fit for championship-level production. Looking ahead to next season, which quarterbacks in the winter transfer portal found a similar marriage for success?

From the Big 12 … 

2. Devon Dampier

Transferring from: New Mexico | Transferring to: Utah
Seasons remaining: 2

HT: 5-10 | WT: 198 | Class: Sophomore

Why it’s a good fit: Kyle Whittingham hired New Mexico’s offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, and like at Oklahoma, his QB is coming with him. The Utes know exactly what they’re getting in Dampier, and Utah fans should be ecstatic. Dampier will bring an athletic element to the position that could change the offense from what we’ve seen in years past. This offense will be built around explosive plays, and Dampier will provide plenty with his strong arm and elusive feet. He will change how people defend Utah because he is so dynamic.

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4. Kaidon Salter

Transferring from: Liberty | Transferring to: Colorado
Seasons remaining: 1

HT: 6-1 | WT: 200 | Class: Redshirt junior

Why it’s a good fit: This is a terrific gap player for Colorado, fitting between outgoing starter Shedeur Sanders and highly touted incoming freshman Julian Lewis. Salter is another version of SMU’s Kevin Jennings in many ways. Salter is crafty, makes a ton of plays off platform and can make things happen on the move. He can be incredibly accurate on tight-window throws down the middle of the field.  It’ll be interesting to see how Pat Shurmur adjusts his offensive attack to play to Salter’s strengths as a runner and improviser. Shurmur has shown the ability to adapt to his QB’s strengths, so we like the potential. The senior will avoid more sacks than Sanders and be effective in getting ball into the hands of the Buffaloes’ talented young receiving corps.

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9. Conner Weigman

Transferring from: Texas A&M | Transferring to: Houston
Seasons remaining: 2

HT: 6-3 | WT: 220 | Class: Redshirt sophomore

Why it’s a good fit: If Weigman can stay healthy, this could be a steal for Houston coach Willie Fritz. Weigman gets to play in his hometown and for coaches who developed Michael Pratt into the AAC Offensive Player of the Year at Tulane and an NFL draft pick. Weigman is 9-4 as a starter, won the starting job twice at Texas A&M and has plenty of quality film showcasing his arm talent and accuracy in tight windows, which made him attractive to Houston offensive coordinator Slade Nagle. He has competitive intangibles that we love and really good timing and rhythm as a passe

… Read full story here …

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January 7th

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Big 12 Coaches Grades: Coach Prime gets an “A” for 2024; Three get “F’s”

From Heartland College Sports … With the Big 12 football season in the books, it is time to go back and review how the head coaches performed throughout the 2024 season.

I was never much of a student myself, but I am familiar with how grading works.

Instead of being the student, I will be the one handing out grades this year. Let’s get started.

• Kenny Dillingham – Arizona State … A+
• Matt Campbell – Iowa State … A+
• Kalani Sitake – BYU … A
• Deion Sanders – Colorado … A … In 2022, Deion Sanders took over one of the worst Power Four programs in college football. Now, in just his second season in Boulder, the man won nine games in the regular season. I am not saying that Deion is capable of working miracles, but what he has already proven he can do isn’t far off.
• Dave Aranda – Baylor … B+
• Sonny Dykes – TCU … B+
• Joey McGuire – Texas Tech … B
• Chris Klieman – Kansas State … B-
• Willie Fritz – Houston … B-
• Neal Brown – West Virginia … C+
• Lance Leipold – Kansas … C-
• Scott Satterfield – Cincinnati … C-
• Kyle Whittingham – Utah … C-
• Brent Brennan – Arizona … F … I am not going to lie; I was not a fan of the Brent Brennan hire. This past season didn’t make me feel any better about it. This team had arguably the best quarterback/wide receiver combination in the entire conference, and it was completely wasted due to the lack of talent surrounding those two.
• Gus Malzahn – UCF … F … It’s probably wrong to give a grade like this to a man who left, but going 4-8 at a place like UCF, which has many great resources, is entirely unacceptable. While Malzahn may have been an elite recruiter, he just had a hard time turning talent into wins. Have fun at Florida State, Gus.
• Mike Gundy – Oklahoma State … F … Do I really need to say anything here? This team was supposed to compete for a Big 12 title with all the returning starters they had coming back, and instead, they completely crapped down their leg. Mike Gundy finished with his worst record as a head coach, and it was the first time Oklahoma State had gone winless in conference play since 1993.

… Read full story here …

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January 2nd

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ASU head coach Dillingham receives contract extension

From 247 Sports … Kenny Dillinghamwill celebrate the new year with a better contract at Arizona State after he agreed to a deal that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the Big 12 over at least the next five seasons.

State law prevents employment contracts of more than five years but the Sun Devils creatively structured the agreement such that incentives could trigger automatic extensions of up to five more years, people familiar with the plan told Sun Devil Source.

ASU also made commitments to increase its scholarship allotment by 20 to the new cap of 105 and be competitive with peers in revenue sharing next season as the FBS model shifts to allow schools to pay their players in the wake of the House vs. NCAA settlement.

“We want Kenny to be a Sun Devil for life and he’s expressed that he wants to be a Sun Devil for life,” Rossini said of the Big 12’s Coach of the Year. “This was a special season and he’s done a remarkable job leading the team. So we are focused on having those conversations now” about his contract.

Dillingham, the youngest Power Four coach in the country at just 34, made clear to Sun Devil Source after ASU’s win over the Cyclones that his preference was to continue leading the program long into the future.

“I love ASU. I’ve been a fan of ASU my entire life,” Dillingham said. “I grew up saying this is my dream job, this is a place that I think can compete for championships and I think we proved that today.”

Dillingham’s existing contract, which called for him to receive $3.95 million this year, was already extended to add one more year due to ASU’s 2023 postseason ban caused by recruiting infractions by the school’s prior staff. He had automatic increases of $100,000 per year built into the agreement, though his remarkable turnaround in Tempe made him a potentially in-demand coach across the country.

… Continue reading story here …

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January 1st 

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Ratings: ABC dominates college football; CU dominates the Big 12

From the San Jose Mercury News … Here’s our look at the best and worst of the year …

Biggest story: ABC’s domination

Disney added the SEC’s Game of the Week to its existing SEC inventory, moved all the major matchups onto ABC and absolutely crushed the competition, often using double- and triple-headers as the vehicle. Of the 21 highest-rated games of the season listed on the SportsMediaWatch website, including conference championships, 14 were on ABC while only four aired on Fox. (CBS had two, including Army-Navy, and NBC had one.) The season could not have gone better for Disney and its over-the-air network.

Evolving story: CFP ratings

The numbers are official for the first-ever opening round of the College Football Playoff. The prime-time broadcasts on ABC and ESPN performed well, with Ohio State-Tennessee on Saturday drawing an average of 14.3 million viewers, the second-largest audience of the season behind only the SEC championship game. Notre Dame’s victory over Indiana on Friday averaged 13.4 million. Not surprisingly, the two Saturday games on Turner networks (TBS and TNT), which faced direct competition from the NFL, drew smaller audiences: The Clemson-Texas matchup averaged 8.6 million viewers while SMU-Penn State drew 6.4 million.

Best strategic move: Fox College Football Fridays

This season marked the debut of Fox’s Friday package of Big Ten games, with the West Coast schools providing much of the inventory. The approach worked well, with some Friday games drawing in excess of 2 million viewers. While that number compares poorly to the major Saturday games, it’s approximately the same audience that previously watched the ‘Friday Night Smackdown’ wrestling broadcasts. And it allowed Fox to promote its Saturday football package, particularly the ‘Big Noon’ game.

Greatest single-school dominance: Colorado

Excluding the conference championship, the Big 12 generated 10 games with at least 3 million viewers. The Buffaloes were involved in all 10. Without them — and more specifically, without Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter — the conference’s ratings would be low enough to be a story.

… Continue reading story here …

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December 26th

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How did former Buffs fare in 2024 at their new schools?

From ColoradoBuffaloesWire.usatoday.com … Take a player-by-player look at how notable Colorado transfers performed with their new teams in 2024:

— QB Kasen Weisman (Florida Atlantic) … 416 passing yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions

— WR Tar’Varish Dawson (Jacksonville State) … One reception for 16 yards

— RB Anthony Hankerson (Oregon State) … 232 carries for 1,082 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns

— RB Dylan Edwards (Kansas State) … 56 carries for 350 yards and three touchdowns, one punt return touchdown

— RB Sy’veon Wilkerson (Georgia State) … 23 carries for 97 yards

— RB Alton McCaskill IV (Arizona State) … Seven carries for 17 rushing yards

… Also … Offensive linemen Van Wells (Oregon State) … Gerad Christian-Lictenhan (Oregon State) … Jack Bailey (Northwestern) … Savion Washington (Syracuse) …

— TE Chamon Metayer (Arizona State) … 29 receptions for 290 yards and five touchdowns

— TE Caleb Fauria (Delaware) … 12 catches for 134 yards and one touchdown

— TE Michael Harrison (San Diego State) … 18 receptions for 150 yards

— DL J.J. Hawkins (Marshall) … 22 total tackles, two TFLs, one sack, three pass breakups

— DL Bishop Thomas (Georgia State) … Two total tackles

— EDGE Eric Brantley Jr. (Florida Atlantic) … 13 total tackles, 1.5 TFLs, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery

— EDGE Khairi Manns (James Madison) … 68 total tackles, nine sacks, one forced fumble

— EDGE Deeve Harris (Marshall)… 54 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble

— CB Omarion Cooper (Florida State) … Two total tackles, one pass defended

— CB Cormani McClain (Florida) … Five total tackles, one interception, one pass defended

— CB Kyndrich Breedlove (Purdue) … 40 total tackles, three interceptions, four passes defended

— S Jahquez Robinson (Auburn) … One total tackle, one pass defended

— S Vito Tisdale (Eastern Kentucky) … 33 total tackles, one interception, eight passes defended

… Also … Players who left the team after the 2022 season … Quarterbacks Brendon Lewis and Owen McCown started at Nevada and UTSA, respectively, while wide receiver Jordyn Tyson eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards at Arizona State.

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This post, about the Postseason game, from the 2024 Season, is filed under Article.
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