What’s going on in the Big 12 and beyond? I expand and explain every Sunday in Postscripts at Heartland College Sports, your home for independent Big 12 coverage.
This week, the Big 12 and the ACC are aligning, the NCAA is getting congressional help (just the NCAA) and our lead football writer weighs in on pre-game shows.
ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS BEFORE AN INEVITABLE BREAK
Earlier this week CBS Sports was among the outlets that reported that both the Big 12 and the ACC were preparing to meet with the leadership of the two college football alternatives to the current structure of the game.
The meeting isn’t scheduled, but it’s expected to take place next month.
Fans know these alternatives as “College Student Football League” and “Project Rudy.” These are the so-called “super-league” solutions that would include private investment and exclude a good portion of current FBS teams from what would best be described as an NFL-esque format.
So who’s driving this from a Big 12 perspective? Per CBS, it’s not commissioner Brett Yormark. It’s actually Baylor president Linda Livingstone. Recently, she requested a summit with the CEOs of the other power conferences. You mean, again?
Well, now Big 12 presidents want to hear about both CSFL and Project Rudy before the CEOs meet. By the way, Livingstone is the Big 12’s CEO.
It’s not a huge leap for the Big 12 to listen. After all, one of the ambassadors for the CSFL is West Virginia president Gordon Gee. Another is Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt. You don’t think either is whispering in leadership’s collective ear?
There are clear fault lines here. The commissioners of the SEC and the Big Ten met on their own last month on the future of college sports. Yormark said at Big 12 media days in Kansas City last month that he wasn’t concerned. That’s what he told us. Frankly, I’m skeptical that he’s not skeptical.
The SEC and Big Ten, reportedly, won’t be a part of these meetings. Just the Big 12 and some members of the ACC.
This is shaping up to be a battle of the “haves” and the “have somes.” The have-nots won’t be invited.
The reality is something like this will probably happen for two reasons. There is way too much money to be ignored and because the NCAA’s leadership is so utterly inept that the organization’s days are numbered.
THE FEDS GET INVOLVED
For the past few years, the NCAA has been asking — actually begging — the U.S. government for help with name, image and likeness legislation and other student-athlete regulations related to revenue-sharing.
Again, given the NCAA’s completely inept leadership it can’t even solve its own problems. So, yes, obviously, the U.S. Congress should be your next stop.
Well, the NCAA may have an ally in Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R). Now that his party is set to take the majority in the U.S. Senate, he stands to lead the committee that will have an enormous say in whether this happens and, if so, how.
I’m sure this will work out great for the NCAA and not-so-great for student-athletes.
THIS IS TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL (FOLLOW-UP)
If you read this space last week, you know that two Texas six-man football programs, Aspermont and Benjamin, left the site for their first-round playoff game up to the final combined score of the Colorado-Texas Tech game.
Colorado beat Texas Tech, 41-27. Aspermont hosted Benjamin.
So, who won?
Benjamin won, 62-6, in a game called at halftime due to six-man football’s mercy rule.
I know some college games that could use that rule.
BILL SELF FINALLY LETTERED!
You might remember that earlier this week Kansas coach Bill Self passed the legendary Phog Allen for most wins in program history. Well, what do you get for the coach that has a lifetime contract and a place in the Basketball Hall of Fame?
A letter jacket. It took him more than 20 years, but he’s finally gotten a varsity letter in Kansas basketball.
I kid, of course. That’s a dope jacket and let’s hope Kansas is selling it.
The Jayhawk faithful honored him on Saturday when they hosted Oakland. If you recall from the last NCAA Tournament, the Grizzlies were one of the darlings of the tournament.
Well, coach Greg Kampe got his team to Lawrence a day early and, well, he couldn’t resist showing off Allen Fieldhouse.
I’ve got plenty of photos from my visit as a fan a few years ago. It truly is one of the places you must go to if you’re a basketball fan.
As for Self, well, raise the banner.
PRE-GAME SHOW TAKE
I’ll be honest — I don’t watch much of either pre-game show, ESPN’s College Gameday or Big Noon Kickoff on Fox. I’m usually at a game or I’m getting ready to watch football all day. Knowing it’s going to be at least a 12-hour day, I need a little time to chill.
But, I have been to both shows on site. About 10 years ago I did Gameday in Athens, Ga., as Georgia hosted LSU. When I covered Oklahoma at Cincinnati last year Big Noon Kickoff was there. When I covered Ohio State at Michigan in 2021, both shows were there. Now, that’s a nutso environment.
Well, Fox’s investment in the Big 12 hasn’t gone unnoticed by our Derek Duke. Here’s why he’s now a Big Nook Kickoff convert.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
