Tuesday wrapped up in a remarkable way that could be a sign of things to come in the Big 12 Conference. Within an hour of each other, Texas Tech had reportedly locked Joey McGuire into a long-term contract extension, and then BYU reportedly held off Penn State from acquiring Kalani Sitake. These were two huge wins, not just for each of these respective programs, but for the entire Big 12 Conference. And the news that happened to break within an hour of each other could be a further sign that these two teams may begin to separate themselves from the pack of a crowded Big 12 in the years to come.
Texas Tech’s Growth
Now, we know that Texas Tech has put itself in a different category this season. The Red Raiders are +29.4 in scoring margin, second to only Indiana. They have the NIL infrastructure obviously very well funded, they have the head coach, who perfectly encapsulates West Texas, inked to a new long-term extension, and now they’re set up for long-term success.
And if you think it’s easy to just bring in a bunch of great transfer portal players and coach ’em up, ask yourself what happened to LSU, North Carolina, Florida State, and Colorado, just to name a few other programs with top transfer portal classes who did not have nearly the success of the Red Raiders. That’s not to say Tech will hit on its transfer portal class every year like it did this year, but it is to note that not any coach could pull off what Joey McGuire did, and he rightly deserved to be rewarded for the job done.
BYU To Take The Next Steps Needed
As for BYU, the Cougars were not an expected pick to end up in Arlington, Texas for a Big 12 Championship Game appearance this season. Heck, they weren’t even the most popular pick in their own state to end up in Arlington (Utah was). But here we are, as BYU gets set to play for the Big 12 title, and avoids the scare of losing its head coach to Penn State.
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, as part of his new deal, Sitake and the program will get $10 to $15 million of NIL on top of revenue sharing. This is a huge win for BYU to recruit at the highest levels possible to compete, not just annually for a Big 12 title, but potentially National Championships. That’s the move here for BYU, and that what they’re beginning to commit to.
A Sign Of Things To Come in the Big 12?
So while the Big 12 remains a wide-open conference from year to year, until proven otherwise, if your placing your bets on who may have the best chance to consistently rise above the rest, BYU and Texas Tech would be good places to wager your money.
Many other fan bases will obviously believe their team will be playing for a Big 12 title next season, and they should. But, BYU and Texas Tech just might be starting that separation we’ve been wondering whether or not could, or would, eventually happen in this league.
They’re heading into arguably the most important game in their respective program’s history, while knowing they’ve got the leadership locked in place for years to come, and at a critical juncture in college football, the financials exactly where they need to be as well.
