ESPN College GameDay‘s trip to Provo wasn’t just a memorable weekend for BYU. It was also a historic one for the network.

College GameDay averaged 3 million viewers for Saturday’s show from BYU ahead of the Cougars’ showdown against Notre Dame, making it the most-watched episode of the 2026 season and the third-most-watched regular-season edition in the show’s history, according to ESPN PR.

The audience was also up 7% compared to the 2025 season average through the first seven weeks.

And viewers stuck around as kickoff approached. The final hour of the show averaged 3.9 million viewers, which ESPN said was up 67% compared to the competition.

The massive television audience capped off a huge weekend in Provo, where College GameDay made its first trip to BYU since 2009. The Cougars then delivered on the field, beating No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 in one of the biggest victories in program history.

BYU has since climbed to No. 2 in the AP Top 25, its highest ranking since its national championship season in 1984.

The numbers also provide another data point for the Big 12 as the conference continues trying to increase its national profile and television value. And ESPN isn’t leaving Big 12 country just yet.

After the massive audience in Provo, College GameDay is headed about 45 miles north to Salt Lake City for Week 8, where No. 10 Utah will host No. 14 Houston in another game with major Big 12 Championship implications.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Big 12 Conference opened its men’s and women’s basketball media days on Tuesday with a new format. On Tuesday, eight men’s and women’s programs were at T-Mobile Center to talk about the season — Baylor, Texas Tech, Colorado, Arizona State, Iowa State, Utah, Cincinnati and Kansas. Coaches and played did interviews throughout the day with the regular season set to open on Nov. 2.

Here are five takeaways from the first day in KC.

When is JT Toppin Returning?

The Texas Tech forward tore his ACL in February and has been rehabbing the injury this summer. He’s one of two Big 12 returnees that are dealing with the same injury, with Oklahoma State’s Parsa Fallah being the other.

When JT Toppin was asked about his recovery and when he might play, he kept it positive but vague.

“I’m great right now. … I’m right on schedule,” Toppin said. “Been taking it slow. I feel like I’ll be coming back very, very soon.”

I asked Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland about a timeline and he said there isn’t one and that’s by design. He’s deferring to the team’s medical group and to Toppin. They’ll let him know when he’s medically cleared and Toppin will let him know when he’s ready.

“I trust JT Toppin — that I can tell you,” McCasland said. “I’ve been through it all with him before and I think there’s enough experience there where he’ll be 100% when it’s time for him to play. And I do feel great about him playing at some point this season.”

McCasland reference a six-week stretch in Toppin’s first season in which he missed time due to an injury and managed it properly. He also told CBS Sports that Toppin wasn’t yet ready to practice and that if the former NCAA eligibility rules were in place he would have been redshirted this year.

Bill Fennelly’s Swan Song

Iowa State women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly announced earlier this offseason that he would retire after the season. He is the longest-tenured coach in the Big 12, men’s or women’s, and has won 656 games at Iowa State in a career in which he’s won 822 games.

So, Tuesday was the first of his “lasts,” as in this is his last Big 12 media days. He was asked many questions about his retirement, and he was quite reflective about it — or as reflective as he could be given that he still has a season to prepare for.

One hope? That the “Iowa State Way” he built over more than three decades persists beyond his departure.

“We wanted to create a program that embodied our fan base, embodied our community the great state of Iowa,” he said. “I grew up in Iowa, my wife grew up in Iowa so it’s home for us. Hopefully we’ve created a program that’s added to the Big 12 and added to Iowa State. I’ve been truly blessed over my time that I’ve been able to coach and be around so many phenomenal people let alone players and staff members that have invested so much in me and in our school.”

Bill Self Talks Trey Kaufman-Renn

With so many players spinning court cases to remain eligible, the case of new Kansas forward Trey Kaufman-Renn is outside the norm.

While most of the cases have in the five-for-five realm — Class of 2022 players who didn’t redshirt and are seeking a fifth year based on the NCAA’s new age-based criteria — this would be Kaufman-Renn’s sixth year of college basketball. He was a Class of 2021 player who played four years and redshirted one year. He was also selected No. 59 overall in the NBA Draft but never signed a contract.

Kaufman-Renn’s attorneys are making the case that had the NCAA had the five-for-five rule before his eligibility expired, he wouldn’t have used his redshirt.

He recently received a temporary restraining order that allows him to practice and play with Kansas until his case is fully heard.

Naturally, that led to a lot of questions for head coach Bill Self, who has two other Class of 2022 players competing on TRO’s — Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. Both played for him last year. Kaufman-Renn played at Purdue. Self addressed several questions about it during the breakout interviews, including whether he was a “disruptor” for signing Kaufman-Renn so late.

“If we don’t play with them, we’ll play against them,” he said.

Earlier in the day, commissioner Brett Yormark drew a distinction that indicated Kaufman-Renn wasn’t breaking the Big 12 rules on professionalism by returning, saying that because he was automatically put in the draft and didn’t “declare” for it he wasn’t in violation of the league’s rule.

The cases for all three players is ongoing.

That ‘Dawg’ Mentality on the Continuum

This is a big transitional year for Baylor women’s basketball under head coach Nicki Collen. The program lost Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Bella Fontleroy and Jana Van Gytenbeek to graduation. So she’s breaking in a relatively new team with just one returning starter, Taliah Scott.

She and her players talked about developing a “dawg” mentality with a new group of players and it hasn’t been easy. Collen was happy to use the analogy to explain where her team is at right now.

“I’ve joked that there are days we’re dog-less, then we have Chihuahua days,” she said. “We want to get to where we are consistently German Shepherds or Pitbulls, something where you know there’s a consistency about the way we show up.”

Collen seemed happy her team isn’t opening the season in Paris against Duke. But they Bears still have several non-conference showdowns against great teams, including a trip to Nashville to face Tennessee.

“Those are home games for those teams,” she said.

Baylor enters the season with the second-longest streak of 20-win seasons in the country with 26, behind only UConn.

Why New Coaches Took New Jobs

Two of the league’s new head coaches spoke on Tuesday — Arizona State’s Randy Bennett and Kansas State’s Jerrod Calhoun.

Bennett spent more than a decade at Saint Mary’s, where he built the Gaels into one of the best mid-major programs in the country. For him, Arizona State was really the only job that was going to get him to leave. After all, he’s an Arizona native.

“I grew up in Mesa, which is 10 minutes away from Arizona State University where I lived,” he said. “I grew up as a Sun Devil. That’s who I rooted for. I knew which team in the state that I was rooting for the whole time. So just how many guys get a chance to coach in their hometown at the big school?”

Calhoun left Utah State to take over at Cincinnati and, like Bennett, local roots were important. He grew up in East Liverpool, Ohio, and at one time was a student assistant under Bob Huggins at Cincinnati.

That, combined with a family, means Calhoun has been busy at his new job.

“The number of things you have to do outside of basketball, the time commitments [are different],” he said. “You know having three young daughters, trying to balance all that, has been a little difficult because I don’t tell a lot of people no.”

TCU and West Virginia meet in Fort Worth for a Week 8 Big 12 matchup with both teams looking to build some momentum after picking up conference wins last weekend. The Horned Frogs are coming off a 17-6 victory over Baylor, while the Mountaineers finally broke through in Big 12 play with a wild 45-42 win over Cincinnati. Can TCU take care of business at home, or will Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia make it two straight? Here’s our prediction, pick and preview for TCU vs. West Virginia.

TCU vs. West Virginia Odds

• Spread: TCU -9.5
• Over/Under: 55.5
• Moneyline: TCU -330/West Virginia +260

Odds as of Tuesday afternoon. Odds are subject to change.

The Biggest Question: West Virginia’s Offense vs. TCU’s Defense?

This game pits TCU’s elite defense against West Virginia’s elite offense. The Horned Frogs are ranked No. 1 in scoring and total defense in the Big 12, giving up just 264 total yards per game, and 12.2 points per game. That defense was on display last week in an upset win over Baylor. Meantime, the Mountaineers did what they do best, score 40+ points and finally get in the win column in Big 12 play. WVU is No. 4 in scoring offense and No. 2 in total offense in the Big 12 Conference so far this season. And it’s not just on the ground, last week it was through the air, as Michael Hawkins Jr. threw for 464 yards and three touchdowns while adding 77 rushing yards in a win vs. Cincinnati.

TCU vs. West Virginia Prediction and Pick

Prediction: West Virginia 31, TCU 27

No doubt, the TCU defense has been solid, but how much has it been skewed by its competition thus far. The Horned Frogs are third in the FBS in scoring defense and seventh in total defense. But they’ve played inconsistent and mediocre offenses like Baylor, UCF, UNC and they took on BYU in a rain-soaked game where LJ Martin left with an injury. I think that perspective matters. They haven’t seen a Michael Hawkins or an offense that can score like WVU’s can.

Now can WVU stop anyone? That remains to be seen. Their defense is last in the Big 12, and by a wide margin. However, the Mountaineers have also already played some elite offenses like Arizona and Oklahoma State. They haven’t seen an offense like TCU’s that ranks at the bottom of the Big 12 in total offense and scoring offense.

Also, the Mountaineers might have more success defensively getting to the quarterback. WVU is in the Top 4 in sacks this season, while TCU has given up the most sacks (17) thus far in the league. In a game that will require TCU to keep up and put up points, it may open up an opportunity for the Mountaineers to actually, dare I say, make a play or two on defense that can flip this game in their favor.

Now to be transparent, he betting market disagrees. TCU opened as roughly a touchdown favorite and has been bet up to around 9.5 points at many sportsbooks, signaling confidence in the Horned Frogs despite their offensive struggles. However, I’m willing to fade that move here. TCU hasn’t faced an offense with the explosiveness of Michael Hawkins and West Virginia, and I believe the market is putting too much weight on the Mountaineers’ defensive deficiencies while overlooking TCU’s offensive limitations.

West Virginia wins. West Virginia covers.

One of the biggest games in the Big 12 this weekend takes place Saturday at noon ET on FS1 when undefeated Texas Tech (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) visits Cincinnati (4-2, 1-2 Big 12) at Nippert Stadium. The Red Raiders are coming off a dominant 53-25 victory over Arizona State and have emerged as a legitimate conference title contender, rising into the Top 10 nationally. Meanwhile, Cincinnati returns home looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking 45-42 loss to West Virginia in Morgantown. There’s plenty of drama around this match up following the off-season storylines around Brendan Sorsby, who planned to transfer from Cincinnati and play for Texas Tech, until the quarterback ultimately left the program over a gambling scandal. But now, these two teams get set to meet in Week 8. Here are the odds, a preview and a prediction for this match up on Saturday.

Texas Tech vs. Cincinnati Odds

• Spread: Texas Tech -10.5
• Over/Under: 56.5
• Moneyline: Texas Tech -410/Cincinnati +315

Odds as of Tuesday afternoon. Odds are subject to change.

The Biggest Question: Can Cincinnati Get Its Running Game Going?

This is the match up that will decide whether or not Cincinnati can pull off the upset. The Bearcats rank third in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game at 231.2 ypg on the ground, but the Red Raiders are tops in the Big 12 defensively, allowing just 82.0 rushing yards per game. Which side cracks first? The Bearcats had 233 rushing yards in their 45-42 loss to West Virginia last week, a game they did not trail until the clock hit 0:00 in the 4th quarter. The combination of Cole Tabb, JC French IV, Gi’Bran Payne and Zylan Perry need to have a huge Saturday at home to pull off the upset against the Red Raiders.

Texas Tech vs. Cincinnati Prediction and Pick

Prediction: Texas Tech 38, Cincinnati 23

Cincinnati coming off of their close loss to West Virginia doesn’t concern me coming into this game. They’ve had this one circled since all the drama went down around Brendan Sorsby this off-season. In the meantime, Texas Tech is more fired up than they have probably been for a game all season. Everyone at Texas Tech wants some revenge over some of the alleged shenanigans around how this drama went down.

As for the game, did Texas Tech figure everything out during the bye week that led their blowout win over Arizona State? Or is ASU just that bad? What if it’s a combination of both. I get the attractiveness of wanting to emotionally play Cincinnati as an underdog, but I’m not there. The Bearcats have yet to prove they can play with the upper echelon of the Big 12 Conference. They can beat, and compete, with the mid-tier to bottom, but they don’t do the same with the really good teams, of which Texas Tech is one of them. In Cincinnati’s four-game losing streak last season, they were 0-4 against the spread, with two of those games at home.

Now, here comes Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are 18-2 since the start of the 2025 season, and 17 of those wins are by double-digits. Will Hammond is getting healthier, the offensive line is starting to gel, and the defense is coming together. Texas Tech has outscored its opponents 81-25 over the last six quarters. They keep rolling on Saturday.

The biggest question for Cincinnati is whether it can consistently move the ball against one of the better defenses in the Big 12. While the Bearcats have attracted support from bettors throughout the week, they still have to prove they can generate enough explosive plays to stay within striking distance for four quarters. If Texas Tech forces Cincinnati into obvious passing situations, the Red Raiders have the defensive playmakers to create the separation needed to cover this number.

Texas Tech wins. Cincinnati covers.

The state of West Virginia is mourning the loss of one of its most respected business and philanthropic leaders as longtime businessman Ike Morris has passed away. Among those feeling the loss most deeply is West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez, who described Morris as “the most influential person” in his life.

Rodriguez’s relationship with Morris stretched back more than three decades, beginning during his coaching days at Glenville State. Over the years, Morris became much more than a supporter of the coach and his football programs. Rodriguez said Morris served as a mentor, friend, and father figure throughout his career.

Rich Rodriguez Reacts

“My family and I are brokenhearted to learn of the passing of our dear friend Ike Morris. He was the most influential person in my life. From my time at Glenville State 36 years ago to today, he was always there to help me and be like a second father. He never stopped caring or believing in me,” Rodriguez said in his statement.

Rodriguez also noted that Morris had always been there for him from his earliest days as a coach through his return to Morgantown. Rodriguez called Morris one of the greatest West Virginians of all time and said his impact on the state cannot be overstated, adding, “He’s done so much more that he never even cared about getting the credit for. It’s a sad, sad day. He’s the most influential person in my life. It’s not even close.”

Speaking further during his weekly radio show, Rodriguez reflected on Morris’ generosity and commitment to helping people across the Mountain State. He explained that many of Morris’ charitable efforts were done quietly and without seeking recognition, adding that countless West Virginians benefited from his kindness and leadership. Rodriguez repeatedly emphasized that Morris’ influence on his life extended far beyond football.

Who was Ike Morris?

For generations of West Virginians, Ike Morris was far more than a successful businessman. A native of Gilmer County, Morris built an extensive business empire that included energy, retail, real estate, and other ventures, but he was equally known for his commitment to improving communities across the Mountain State. Through philanthropic contributions, support of local schools and universities, and countless acts of generosity that often went unnoticed, Morris became one of the state’s most respected civic leaders. His influence stretched from small-town West Virginia to West Virginia University, where his support and advocacy left a lasting impact on students, athletes, and residents throughout the region.

Morris built a successful business portfolio through Waco Oil & Gas Co. and several other ventures throughout West Virginia. Beyond his business accomplishments, he became known for his philanthropy and support of institutions such as West Virginia University and Glenville State University.

While the loss reaches far beyond the football field, Rodriguez’s emotional words offered a glimpse into the lasting impact Morris had on generations of West Virginians. His legacy as a businessman, philanthropist, and mentor will be remembered throughout the state for years to come.

West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. continues to emerge as one of the biggest stars in the Big 12, and on Tuesday he added another national honor to his growing résumé. Hawkins was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, while Kentucky defensive back Jordan Castell earned the defensive award.

For Big 12 fans, the spotlight belongs squarely to Hawkins.

The redshirt sophomore delivered one of the most impressive performances in college football this season during West Virginia’s thrilling 45-42 victory over Cincinnati. Hawkins threw for 464 yards and three touchdowns while adding 77 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. In the process, he became the first quarterback in Mountaineer history to record at least 450 passing yards and 75 rushing yards in the same game.

Michael Hawkins’ 2026 Campaign

The performance further strengthened Hawkins’ case as one of the conference’s most dynamic players. Despite West Virginia sitting at 4-3 overall, Hawkins has been carrying the Mountaineers’ offense throughout the season. He currently leads all FBS quarterbacks with 749 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, showcasing the dual-threat ability that has made him a nightmare for opposing defenses

What’s even more impressive is that this marks the second time Hawkins has earned Walter Camp National Player of the Week honors this season. He previously claimed the award in September after a breakout performance against Virginia, highlighting just how quickly he has become one of the nation’s most electrifying quarterbacks.

As the Big 12 race heads into the second half of the season, Hawkins has become must-watch television every weekend. West Virginia may still have work to do in the conference standings, but with Hawkins under center, the Mountaineers are capable of putting up points against anyone. And after another record-setting performance, the rest of college football is starting to take notice.

What a weekend it was for the Big 12. Five of the nation’s top 10 teams lost in Week 7, but the Big 12’s top contenders all survived and, in some cases, thrived. The result? Three Big 12 teams now sit inside the top 10 heading into Week 8, giving the conference plenty of momentum as the second half of the season begins.

Let’s dive into some Week 7 overreactions and look ahead to what’s next in the Big 12.

The Big 12 Is the Best Conference in College Football Right Now

The results are in, and the Big 12 has a legitimate argument as the nation’s top conference.

BYU’s win over Notre Dame vaulted the Cougars to No. 2 in the rankings. Texas Tech dominated Arizona State and climbed to No. 8. Utah survived a late-night battle with Colorado and landed at No. 10. Meanwhile, Houston jumped to No. 14 after knocking off a top-20 Oklahoma State team.

The ACC has only one team in the top 10 and top 15 with Miami sitting at No. 1. The SEC has just two top-10 teams. The Big Ten and Big 12 each have three teams in the top 10, but with BYU checking in at No. 2, the Big 12 gets the nod.

Will that still be true next week? Maybe not. But after seven weeks, no conference can match the combination of depth and top-end rankings the Big 12 currently possesses.

Kansas Might Be the Worst Team in the Big 12

Kansas entered the Sunflower Showdown desperately needing a breakthrough.

Instead, the Jayhawks suffered another frustrating collapse.

Kansas State erased a halftime deficit by scoring the final 17 points of the game to secure a 35-24 victory, extending its winning streak in the rivalry to 18 straight games. Once again, Kansas struggled to finish, something that has become an unfortunate trend.

There are still opportunities ahead for Lance Leipold’s team, but right now it’s fair to wonder whether Kansas has fallen to the bottom of the conference standings.

West Virginia Is the Most Entertaining Team in the Big 12

No team in the conference is more fun to watch than West Virginia.

The Mountaineers don’t play much defense, but they make up for it with explosive offense and high-scoring games. Every West Virginia game has gone over the posted total this season, and each contest has featured at least 55 combined points.

Even more impressively, the Mountaineers’ last three games have all produced more than 80 total points.

West Virginia may not win the conference, but if you’re looking for drama and fireworks, they’re must-watch television every Saturday.

With the overreactions out of the way, let’s look ahead to Week 8.

BYU Is on Letdown Alert

BYU just secured one of the biggest wins in program history by knocking off Notre Dame.

Now comes the difficult part.

The Cougars travel to Orlando to face UCF, a team coming off a bye week and eager to play spoiler. BYU is a touchdown favorite and the more talented team, but emotional victories often lead to dangerous situations the following week.

Adding to the challenge is the fact that the Holy War against Utah is looming in the coming weeks, a game that could have major Big 12 Championship implications.

BYU cannot afford to overlook the Knights, even if UCF doesn’t have Alonza Barnett at quarterback. If the Cougars want to remain in the College Football Playoff conversation, this is a game they simply have to handle.

Arizona Has a Chance to Stay in the Race

The schedule gets much tougher for Arizona down the stretch.

The Wildcats still have road games against Texas Tech and a home showdown with Utah remaining. Before that, though, they host Iowa State in a crucial conference matchup.

Both teams are coming off a bye week, meaning preparation shouldn’t be an issue. Arizona enters as a double-digit favorite and has an opportunity to remind everyone that it remains a legitimate player in the Big 12 race.

Take care of business at home, and the Wildcats will keep themselves firmly in the conversation.

Game of the Week: No. 14 Houston at No. 10 Utah

This one has all the ingredients of a Big 12 classic.

Houston enters fresh off a three-point victory over Oklahoma State, while Utah is trying to build on a narrow 27-24 win over Colorado.

The stakes are enormous.

A Houston loss would leave the Cougars with defeats against both Texas Tech and Utah, making the path to Arlington significantly more difficult due to tiebreaker implications. A win, however, would place Houston directly in the thick of the conference title race with a favorable remaining schedule.

Utah faces similar pressure. Defend home field, and the Utes strengthen their position near the top of the standings. Lose, and suddenly the margin for error disappears.

This game could go a long way toward shaping the Big 12 Championship picture.

Final Thoughts

Week 8 offers another loaded slate of Big 12 action.

From Texas Tech’s road trip to Cincinnati in the early window to Houston and Utah battling under the lights in Salt Lake City, there will be no shortage of intrigue across the conference.

If Week 7 taught us anything, it’s that the Big 12 race is far from settled. And that’s exactly what makes it so much fun.

UCF will once again be without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III when the Knights host No. 2 BYU on Saturday, according to a report from Pete Thamel. Barnett is still recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered in UCF’s Sept. 12 loss at Pitt and is not expected to start against the Cougars. Instead, Keyone Jenkins is set to make his fifth consecutive start for the Knights.

The news is significant not just for UCF, but for the Big 12 race as a whole. BYU enters the week undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country, putting the Cougars firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation. A road trip to Orlando looked like one of the more dangerous remaining hurdles on BYU’s schedule, but UCF’s continued quarterback situation changes the dynamic considerably.

Barnett arrived at UCF with high expectations after a standout career at James Madison and was viewed as one of the most impactful transfer quarterbacks in the Big 12. However, his season has been derailed after just two games. The veteran has been sidelined since the injury against Pittsburgh, forcing head coach Scott Frost to turn to Jenkins for an extended stretch.

To Jenkins’ credit, he has kept the Knights competitive and shown flashes of why he was a coveted transfer addition himself. But asking any backup quarterback to knock off an undefeated BYU team is a tall order, especially against a defense that has emerged as one of the best units in the Big 12 this season.

Jenkins has completed 70% of his passes this season, throwing for 806 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. In his last outing against Oklahoma State, he went 30/42 for 265 yards and four touchdown passes in a 42-28 loss in Stillwater. The Knights will be trying to snap a two-game slide on Saturday against the Cougars.

For BYU, the objective remains simple: avoid a letdown after last week’s emotional win over Notre Dame and continue its march toward Arlington. For UCF, the challenge becomes even steeper as the Knights try to pull off one of the season’s biggest upsets without their starting quarterback available once again.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said the conference is “doubling down” on growth as he spoke at Big 12 basketball media days on Tuesday. He wasn’t talking about conference expansion. He noted that the league has expanded by eight teams in the past few years and is happy with the membership. The growth is more about revenue, expanding opportunity for his schools and their student-athletes. He expressed his support for the 24-team College Football Playoff proposal on the table and the expanded NCAA Tournament, saying he hopes to get at least 10 teams in both the men’s and women’s tournaments this year.

Here are three of the most important things he said on Tuesday.

The Big 12 Championship Game

Nothing is final with the College Football Playoff. But if the proposed format gets to the finish line, that will eliminate the Big 12 Championship game for football, which has been a revenue driver for the league and was a sellout last year when Texas Tech beat BYU.

Yormark was asked about the possibility, along with the potential for, perhaps, other significant league events like the Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments going away due to expansion in other areas.

He said if those must go away, they’ll find other tentpole events to build around.

“We’re in the event business,” Yormark said. “It drives a lot of fan engagement and excitement. So, we’ll see what happens in the future. But those are big moments for us. And for some reason, if one goes away, we’ll replace it with something different.”

Non-Conference Scheduling

The Big 12 requires all its teams to play a power conference opponent in non-conference. A few have struggled to get that game, including Texas Tech, which saw a neutral-site series with USC fall apart earlier this season. Yormark was in Provo for the BYU-Notre Dame showdown on Saturday and said the atmosphere was incredible.

Big 12 teams have lost several home-and-home series contests with SEC schools, in part because the SEC adopted the same nine-game schedule format the Big 12 uses. The SEC also required a non-conference power conference contest.

If the CFP reaches the finish line, then all power conference teams will have to schedule a non-conference power conference game each year. Yormark sees bigger games like that in the Big 12’s future in that case.

“Our schools are committed to playing the biggest and best, and I do believe that if we were to get something done with the CFP and expand to 24, you’ll see scheduling the scheduling dynamic move in a different direction, and I think that’ll be a positive when you think about scheduling and the best matchups week in and week out, specifically out of conference,” he said.

Protect College Sports Act

Yormark fielded several questions around the legislation, which was passed in the U.S. Senate before its recess and will head to the U.S. House after the midterm elections. It’s not clear if the legislation will pass the House, but he said he’s part of four working groups trying to keep the legislation moving.

He was asked about how much student-athletes have been involved in the discussions about the legislation.

“I can tell you that I sit on four of the committees, the president’s committee commission on college athletics, and there has been great representation by student athletes on all those committees, and they’ve had a voice,” Yormark said.

One of the parts of the legislation that student-athletes are likely to take some issue with is the one-time transfer rule, which the NCAA implemented several years ago but was overturned in court cases. Student-athletes can now transfer year-to-year, if they wish. A group of student-athletes are also in court in attempts to be eligible this season, most of which were Class of 2022 athletes who did not redshirt and are not getting a fifth year to play based on the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility rule.

Yormark said he supports the age-based eligibility rule, which gives student-athletes to play five years of college athletics.

For all the talk about the SEC and Big Ten separating themselves from the rest of college football, one set of ratings paints a much different picture through seven weeks of the 2026 season. CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli updated his conference ratings following Week 7, and the SEC remains on top with a 9.00 rating. But right behind the SEC is the Big 12 at 8.53, followed by the Big Ten at 7.99.

That means the Big 12 is just 0.47 points behind the SEC, while the Big Ten sits 0.54 points behind the Big 12.

In other words, according to Fornelli’s ratings, the Big 12 is closer to being the best conference in college football than the Big Ten is to being the second-best.

That’s quite a statement considering the national narrative surrounding the sport.

Big 12’s Monster Week 7

The Big 12 certainly helped its cause with a huge Week 7. BYU picked up one of the biggest non-conference wins of the season by beating No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 in Provo. Texas Tech remained undefeated with a dominant 53-25 win over Arizona State, while Houston improved to 6-1 by knocking off ranked Oklahoma State.

The latest AP Poll also reflects the conference’s strong start. BYU jumped all the way to No. 2, while Texas Tech moved to No. 8 and Utah climbed to No. 10. Houston is up to No. 14, while Arizona entered the rankings at No. 25.

Of course, one computer rating doesn’t settle the debate over which conference is best.

But the numbers are another data point pushing back against the idea that the SEC and Big Ten are operating on one level while the Big 12 is somewhere well behind them.

Through seven weeks, that simply hasn’t been the case.