One of the most accomplished coaches in Kansas basketball history, along with one of the best athletes in BYU history, are set to receive one of the sport’s highest honors.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced Monday that former Kansas head coach Ted Owens, and former BYU standout Danny Ainge, will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. The induction ceremony is scheduled for October 22 at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City.

Ted Owens History

Owens, now 96 years old, spent 19 seasons leading the Jayhawks from 1964 to 1983, compiling a 348-182 record and establishing himself as one of the winningest coaches in program history. His 348 victories still rank fourth all-time at Kansas, trailing only Bill Self, Phog Allen and Roy Williams.

During his tenure in Lawrence, Owens guided Kansas to six Big Eight regular-season championships, eight Big Eight Holiday Tournament titles and one conference postseason tournament crown. The Jayhawks reached postseason play seven times under his leadership, highlighted by Final Four appearances in 1971 and 1974. Kansas also advanced to the championship game of the National Invitation Tournament in 1968.

Current Kansas coach Bill Self praised Owens following the announcement, calling the honor long overdue and noting the impact Owens has had on the game and generations of former players. Self also highlighted Owens’ reputation as an unselfish leader and mentor who remains deeply connected to the athletes he coached.

Before taking over at Kansas, Owens built a successful coaching career at Cameron State Junior College in Oklahoma, posting a 93-24 record in four seasons. He joined Kansas as an assistant under Dick Harp in 1960 and was promoted to head coach in 1964.

Owens was a five-time Big Eight Coach of the Year and earned National Coach of the Year honors from Basketball Weekly in 1978. He coached several Kansas legends, including All-Americans Jo Jo White, Darnell Valentine, Dave Robisch, Bud Stallworth and Walter Wesley.

Danny Ainge to Join College Basketball Hall of Fame

Former BYU star Danny Ainge will join Owens in this year’s class as well. Ainge remains one of the greatest athletes ever produced by BYU. During his four-year career in Provo from 1977-81, Ainge developed into a national superstar, leading the Cougars to three NCAA Tournament appearances while becoming one of the most dynamic guards in the country.

His signature moment came during the 1981 NCAA Tournament when he went coast-to-coast through the entire Notre Dame defense for a dramatic game-winning layup, a play that remains one of the most iconic highlights in NCAA Tournament history. Ainge capped that season by winning the prestigious John R. Wooden Award as the nation’s top college basketball player.

What made Ainge’s accomplishment even more remarkable was that he excelled as a two-sport star. While starring for BYU basketball, he was also a professional baseball player in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, making him one of the rare athletes able to thrive at elite levels in multiple sports.

Following his time at BYU, Ainge enjoyed a successful 14-year NBA career, winning two championships with the Boston Celtics and later becoming one of the league’s most respected executives. Yet his impact on BYU basketball remains unparalleled. More than four decades after leaving Provo, Ainge is still widely regarded as one of the greatest players in program history.

Now, the former Cougar joins college basketball immortality as a member of the 2026 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class alongside Owens, Jay Wright, Tubby Smith, Glen Rice and Walt Hazzard.

Former Kansas men’s basketball player Lagerald Vick was arrested on Saturday in Memphis, Tennessee and has been charged with attempted first degree murder, as well as using a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, according to court records.

The charges stem from July 5, when Memphis Police Department officers responded to a call that someone was shot and had been taken to Regional One Hospital, according to charging documents. The victim said that on July 4, at roughly 11 p.m., he had been at a party when he was approached by a man who had a handgun tucked under his armpit when a “verbal confrontation” occurred. The victim told police he had tried to deescalate the situation and run away, but as he turned, the suspect had fired one shot and struck him in the back. He was then taken to Regional One Hospital in a private vehicle, according to the affidavit. The victim provided police with the first name of the suspect, which led investigators to develop Vick as a possible suspect, according to the filing. The victim was shown a photo lineup, where he also identified Vick as the person who shot him.

Vick’s is due in court on Monday, July 13, for an arraignment, before returning to court Tuesday for a bail review hearing. He is being held on a $1.5 million bond.

Lagerald Vick’s Kansas Career

He played in 94 games for KU between 2015-19. He averaged 14.1 points and four rebounds per game his senior season before taking a leave of absence from the team on Feb. 7, 2019. He missed the final eight games that year, which head coach Bill Self described as “personal matters” that required him to return him to Memphis.

Early in his KU career, Vick was found likely to have committed domestic abuse against a female student at KU. The university recommended two years of probation after the investigation, but it’s not clear that Vick was ever put on probation.

Other Legal Troubles

Vick was arrested earlier in the year, in April, for two felony charges and a misdemeanor. He was charged with aggravated burglary, theft of property and a misdemeanor vandalism charge. Those charges stem from Vick allegedly breaking into a former girlfriend’s home, and he is accused of stealing multiple electronic devices, as well as unscrewing the camera that had been located on the porch of her home. He is set to return to court on those charges on July 30.

Kansas Athletics announced it would partner with Ripple, a blockchain-based enterprise solution spanning traditional and digital finance. The partnership will land an XRP Cryptocurrency patch on every jersey worn by University of Kansas athletic teams across the board.

We all know what’s going on here: it’s all about the money. Does that make this announcement any less annoying for the fans and sports lovers around the world? Absolutely not.

In today’s college athletic climate, you have to be innovative and try to stay ahead of the game. Kansas may be doing that here, following professional sports leagues that have been doing so for years. Look no further than just up the highway from Lawrence, Kansas, and the Kansas City Royals. The Royals added a QT (QuikTrip) patch to their jerseys last season. It was initially met with pushback, but the team and company have made some fun promos out of it, and now most fans don’t have an issue with it. I’m sure the Jayhawks are hoping for the same after the initial backlash that will surely take place.

29 of 30 NBA teams have sponsor patches on the front of their jerseys. The Portland Trail Blazers, the lone NBA team without a jersey sponsor, have had jersey sponsors in previous seasons. Every MLS team has a sponsor on the front of its jersey. Last season in the NHL, 28 of 32 teams had jersey sponsors, and all teams had helmet sponsors. The NFL is the only professional league in America that doesn’t allow jersey sponsorships.

This is the evolution of sports over the past decade. Kansas doesn’t want to fall behind and joins Oklahoma State as the second Big 12 team to add a sponsor patch to its jerseys. Other Big 12 teams will certainly follow, grabbing their own presenting jersey sponsors. The terms of the deal between Ripple and Kansas Athletics were not disclosed, but could be anywhere between $1 million and $12 million annually.

This announcement from the University of Kansas comes on the heels of the Big 12 Conference’s own partnership with Monster Energy. At Big 12 media days, it was announced that every Big 12 program will place Monster Energy patches on football jerseys as well as men’s and women’s basketball jerseys. Monster is now the official energy drink of the conference and will also be the title sponsor of Big 12 media days for football and basketball. You’ll also see the Monster Energy brand on football fields and basketball courts. Each Big 12 school will get $1 million annually from this deal.

With the way the transfer portal, essentially free agency every offseason, plays into recruiting, these deals could help put more money into the talent pool to keep their programs competitive. For Kansas, the additions to the football stadium are expensive, and maybe this can help put a dent in paying off some of this project over the next several years. For this partnership, specifically with the Cryptocurrency company, we are being told it will enhance educational programs for KU student-athletes and the campus community, both in traditional and digital finance, and help build a pipeline for graduates into careers across the technology industry.

No matter what anyone says or how these schools or the conference as a whole tries to spin this as being about and for the student-athletes, we all know the truth: it’s all about the money. Sure, it’s just a slight inconvenience and an eyesore for the fans and consumers. It’s more annoying than anything for all of us regular folks out here, but it just goes to show that there isn’t anything that can’t be sold.

Yes, there can be benefits for everyone involved, from the power players to the coaches to the student-athletes, but it is all about generating the most money possible. How it gets divided up and distributed is yet to be seen. Not that it hadn’t already, but greed has officially taken hold of the Big 12 Conference. That money-hungry power play by both schools and the conference as a whole isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, with more sponsorships to be bid on and sold now and moving ahead in the future.

Even though the 2026 NBA Draft is well in the rear view, it is never too early to start looking ahead to next year. This past draft was historic for the Big 12, as 13 players heard their names called in the two rounds.

It was by far the most in conference history and the most since 2010. Plus, it also marked the first time that the Big 12 took up the first two picks of the draft thanks to AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. To put it simply, the conference we all love dominated the 2026 NBA Draft.

But the question now is, can they do it again in 2027? Well, according to The Athletic‘s Sam Vecenie, the answer is yes. Just a few days ago, Sam posted a way-too-early mock draft, projecting seven Big 12 players to go in the first round.

No. 1 | Tyran Stokes, Kansas, G

No. 4 | Caleb Holt, Arizona, G

No. 9 | Motiejus Krivas, Arizona, C

No. 14 | Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona G

No. 16 | Bruce Branch, BYU, G

No. 28 | Dylan Mingo, Baylor, G

No. 30 | Miles Sadler, West Virginia, G

Once again, the Big 12 appears to have the top player thanks to highly touted freshman Tyran Stokes, and joining him in the top ten are Caleb Holt (Arizona) and Motiejus Krivas (Arizona).

If two players from Arizona weren’t enough, how about a third with Ivan Kharchenkov. How many teams out there have three first-round players on their roster? Not many, if any at all.

Baylor and BYU having a player inside the top 30 would also mark two straight years of first-round picks, and seeing a player from West Virginia (Miles Sadler) is very interesting because the Mountaineers haven’t had a first-round pick in nearly 20 years.

Even though seven isn’t as many as the nine they were taken in the first round this year, it’s still very good. Plus, that was just a first-round projection, which means that we could see even more players hear their name called in the second round.

Will there be 13 players drafted? Who knows, but what I do know is that the future remains bright in the Big 12. There is no shortage of talent in the conference, and NBA scouts know that, and I know that. And that is why the Big 12 is one of, if not the best, conference in the country.

The Big 12 had a record-setting night during the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night. Nine Big 12 players were drafted in the first round, two more than the Big 12 had in the 2010 NBA Draft. It was a fantastic showing for the conference, with seven teams represented of those nine selections.

AJ Dybansta and Darryn Peterson going No. 1 and No. 2 overall certainly lifted the conference’s profile in a big way. There’s no way to know for sure whether these players will be stars in the NBA; each player’s landing spot and individual situation play a big role. The same goes for the other seven players from the Big 12 who were drafted in the first round. It got me thinking: who are the top Big 12 players ever drafted who went on to have a great NBA career?

I decided to make an all-time Big 12 starting five, which is subjective but one I would put up against anyone else’s list. Rules for making your starting five: they must have played in the Big 12 between 1996 and 2026. A player needed to be on a team that played in the Big 12 during that season. For instance, even though Texas and Oklahoma are no longer in the conference, players from the early-era Big 12 would be included. If a player from Arizona or BYU did not play in the Big 12 (from years prior to joining the conference), those players are not eligible for the list. This list is also based on how well their NBA careers turned out, not just on how they played in college. With those parameters in place, let’s get to my picks for the ultimate Big 12 starting five.

Center: Joel Embiid, Kansas

Embiid didn’t have a long career at Kansas. When healthy, he has been one of the most dominant big men in the NBA throughout his career. He was drafted No. 3 overall in 2016 and has spent his entire career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He has averaged 28 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists across his decade in the league. If you’re not picking Embiid as your all-time Big 12 starting center, you might want to get your head checked.

Power Forward: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

Griffin was the No.1 overall pick by the LA Clippers in 2010. He had a dominant run with the Clippers, averaging nearly 22 points and 10 rebounds per game over his 7½ seasons in LA. He continued to have great success with the Detroit Pistons after being traded there during the 2017-2018 season. One of his best individual seasons came with the Pistons in 2018-2019, when he averaged nearly 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. His numbers dipped a bit late in his career due to some injuries, but he was a dominant player for a decade in the NBA and was one of the greatest dunkers of all time. He deserves a spot on the all-time Big 12 starting five.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant, Texas

Durant was drafted by the Seattle Super Sonics in 2007, led the team’s move to Oklahoma City, and turned the young Thunder into a respected franchise. He led them to an NBA Finals appearance before ultimately winning two NBA Championships with the Golden State Warriors. You can’t leave off one of the greatest players of his generation from a Big 12 starting five.

Durant changed the way the NBA views big men in basketball. Durant is a guard with the size of a center. He was a freak and continues to play at a high level 18 years into his career. The sustained individual success he has seen has been achieved by only a handful of players in the modern era. The way he has dominated for so long cements his status as one of the starters on the all-time Big 12 starting five.

Over his career, he’s averaged 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, and has shot over 50% from the field in that span of 18 years. He is a 16-time NBA All-Star, a six-time first-team all-NBA, four-time scoring champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, and one-time league MVP. He is also a four-time Olympic Gold Medalist. That makes him the most decorated NBA Olympian of all time.

Durant is a once-in-a-lifetime player who will go down as one of the best players in NBA history, as well as one of the best, if not the best, to ever come out of the Big 12 to this point.  

Shooting Guard: Paul Pierce, Kansas

Paul Pierce ushered in the move of Big 8 basketball to Big 12 basketball. He was the Big 12’s first-ever tournament MVP and won that award twice. He was first-team Big 12 and first-team All-American in his final season at Kansas. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the No. 10 pick in the 1998 NBA Draft.

Pierce played 15 of his 19 years with the Celtics and became a legend in Boston. He was a 10-time NBA All-Star and led the Celtics to an NBA Championship in 2008, where he won NBA Finals MVP. After his rookie season, there wasn’t a year in Boston in which he didn’t average at least 18.5 points per game in a season with the Celtics. There were five seasons in which he averaged over 25 points per game, with his highest season average coming in the 2005-2006 season, when he averaged 26.8 points per game.

Pierce had his number retired by both Kansas and the Celtics. He is also in the NBA Hall of Fame. Even though he is the second Jayhawk in the starting five, he is a must-start for your all-time Big 12 starting lineup.

Point Guard: Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State

I wanted to get a younger player into my starting five, and Cunningham slightly edged out former Oklahoma Sooner Trae Young for the point guard spot. Cunningham doesn’t have the lifetime stats and achievements that the other players in the starting five have, but he is one of the rising young stars in the NBA. Cunningham was drafted No.1 overall by the Detroit Pistons in 2021. The Pistons were the worst team in the league when Cunningham was drafted, and he has helped turn the franchise around completely. This past season, he led the Pistons to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They were knocked out in the semifinals, but the turnaround for that franchise has been unmistakable, and Cunningham has been the centerpiece of it all.

Cunningham averaged 24 points, 10 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game for the 2025-2026 season. The year before that, he averaged 26 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds per game. He is starting to show consistency in his game, suggesting he could be a franchise player year in and year out. Cunningham has been selected to the All-Star game in each of the past two seasons, and he was a first-team NBA member this past season. Cunningham is going to be a player who will be talked about as one of the best in the NBA throughout the prime of his career. As his star is rising and his career continues to ascend, I’m getting Cunningham as the starting point guard for my all-time Big 12 starting five.

No one is beating my starting five. You can try to make one, but it’s not going to happen. Who would you pick for your all-time Big 12 starting five? Maybe, in 20 years, Dybansta or Peterson could be included in this list. It will be fun to see how their careers, as well as those of the other Big 12 players drafted, play out.

If the 2026 NFL and NBA Draft cycles proved anything, it’s this: the Big 12 isn’t just competing nationally, it’s dominating the Top 10, and if this was the SEC, you know ESPN would be crowing about it.

Looking at the combined top 10 picks across both drafts, the Big 12 leads all conferences with seven selections — three in the NFL Draft and four in the NBA Draft. That total edges out the Big Ten (6), while the ACC (4) and SEC (2) trail well behind.

And when you attach actual names to those numbers, the story only becomes more impressive.

The Names Behind the Big 12’s Dominance

The Big 12’s haul includes high-end, recognizable stars across both sports.

NBA Draft (4 Big 12 players in top 10)

• AJ Dybantsa (BYU) – No. 1 overall
• Darryn Peterson (Kansas) – No. 2
• Kingston Flemings (Houston) – No. 8
• Brayden Burries (Arizona) – No. 10

Landing the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in the NBA Draft alone would be enough to headline this story. Doing it while adding two more lottery talents underscores just how loaded the league remains on the hardwood.

NFL Draft (3 Big 12 players in top 10)

• David Bailey (Texas Tech) – No. 2
• Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) – No. 8
• Spencer Fano (Utah) – No. 9

The Big 12’s Balance On Display

And here’s the other part of this: The Big 12 was represented by seven of their 16 programs having Top 10 picks between either the NBA or NFL Draft. The other leagues? Not even close.

Let’s look at the Big 10, where three of their four Top 10 NFL Draft picks were all from Ohio State in Carnell Tate, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. The No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, was also a Big Ten guy, from Indiana. Meantime, the SEC only had one football player in the Top 10 with LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

In hoops, the NBA had two players from the Big Ten in the Top 10 with Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr.. Meantime, the SEC had one Top 10 pick with Darius Acuff Jr. from Arkansas.

The Big 12 is doing just fine, despite what the national media narrative might be.

With the No. 2 overall pick, the Utah Jazz selected Kansas star guard Darryn Peterson in the opening round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night in Brooklyn, New York. After the Wizards claimed AJ Dybantsa at No. 1, the choice was anything but difficult for Ryan Smith.

The reaction line is generally positive, and the Jazz faithful, especially, are happy with Peterson being the guy after weeks of speculation over whether a BYU fan favorite in Dybantsa would continue his career out west after his freshman season.

Draft analyst Jeremy Woo tapped Peterson as his No. 1 pick in ESPN’s 11th-hour mock draft, only for Washington to go with the 6-foot-9, 210-pound Cougars forward instead. Moments before the draft, the Class of 2026 duo caught each other for an interesting exchange:

Peterson notably missed 11 games this past season, but remains an absolute fit for the NBA should his talents translate to the Jazz in Year 1. The good news is he fits directly into their core group.

Instantly, the former Jayhawk lends Keyonte George a partner in crime around the wing with more length than Utah’s guard play has seen in some time. In 24 games at Kansas, Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

A projected lineup now includes George, Peterson, Arizona alum Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler. That includes a bench with Isaiah Collier, Colorado alum Cody Williams, Brice Sensabaugh, Ace Bailey and Kyle Filipowski.

Scouting guru Adam Finkelstein said Peterson arguably brings the highest upside of any pick in the draft:

It’s been a good couple of months for Peterson after an unfavorable end to his college career.

Peterson included brief nods to Bill Self and Kansas during his media scrum ahead of the draft earlier this week, and heads to Salt Lake City with a historic Adidas deal, which makes him one of the top five highest-paid rookies in history.

There’s some pressure involved with that deal, but considering just how bad the Jazz have been since their last postseason appearance five years ago, there’s a lot of runway to succeed. Peterson will undoubtedly face questions over his health, experience and whether he can be the shot in the arm for the franchise that selected him No. 2 overall. That first look will come with Summer League, beginning next month and headed to Utah July 4-7 at the Delta Center.

For years, the Big 12 has fought for respect in the college sports landscape. Whether it’s battling perception in football or navigating conference realignment, the league has often found itself playing defense against the SEC and Big Ten.

On Tuesday night, however, the Big 12 didn’t need to defend anything.

It simply dominated.

When the 2026 NBA Draft unfolded, four Big 12 players landed among the top 10 selections. BYU forward AJ Dybantsa went No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson followed at No. 2 to the Utah Jazz, and Houston guard Kingston Flemings came off the board at No. 8 to the Atlanta Hawks. Rounding out the Top 10 was former Arizona guard
Brayden Burries to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Dybantsa’s season at BYU lived up to every bit of the hype. The freshman sensation averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor, leading all of Division I in scoring during his lone collegiate season.

The No. 1 recruit in the country arrived in Provo with enormous expectations and somehow exceeded them. Dybantsa became the face of BYU basketball, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors, First-Team All-America recognition and establishing himself as the consensus top prospect in the draft. He showcased his complete offensive game throughout the season, highlighted by a 43-point performance that set a BYU freshman scoring record.

Meanwhile, Peterson gave Kansas fans plenty of reasons to believe the Jayhawks could return to national prominence. The freshman guard averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting nearly 44 percent from the field and better than 38 percent from three-point range. While the injury issue plagued Peterson throughout the season, when he was healthy, he was elite.

Houston’s Kingston Flemings rounded out the Big 12 trio after a remarkable freshman campaign under Kelvin Sampson. Flemings averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while leading the Cougars in scoring, assists and steals.

Flemings helped continue Houston’s rise as a national power, becoming the first freshman in program history to earn All-America honors. His poise as a lead guard, elite athleticism and two-way impact quickly elevated him into lottery-pick territory.

The development is another sign that the Big 12’s reputation as the nation’s premier basketball conference is only getting stronger.

The Big 12 released their first ever Matrix Schedule on Thursday. Each school will play three teams in a home and away setting while they will host six stand alone home conference games and be on the road for six stand alone away games.

In this new format, there is supposed to be competitive as well as travel balance, if at all possible. There’s no perfect way to balance a schedule, but this will at least be an intriguing setup for the upcoming season. All dates and times for these games will be announced at a future time. 

Let’s take a look at a couple of the top matchups that will feature each team hosting a game on their home court this season plus some rivalries that will be preserved. 

Kansas vs. Iowa State

These two teams always battle and when it comes to home court advantage there may not be two better places in the country, let alone Big 12 conference. 

Hilton Coliseum has always been, but even more so lately, a huge home court advantage for Iowa State. Their fans are always on top of the opposing teams, and referees, and will make things uncomfortable for everyone. The sign of a passionate fanbase. 

There’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said about Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. It is the Mecca of college basketball. It is the most iconic venue in the sport. It doesn’t get much better than college basketball in “The Phog”. Kansas will always have a huge advantage when playing at home.

Having both of these schools get a home game in this series makes a ton of sense competitively and regionally. These games will likely be featured games during conference play as well. 

Arizona vs. Houston 

This is a series between new bloods of the Big 12. Arizona and Houston of both asserted themselves as dominant teams in the Big 12 conference and it makes sense to put these two teams together in a home and away series. 

Arizona is coming off a Big 12 regular season and tournament title while Houston was the Big 12’s top team the prior year. Arizona’s season ended in the Final Four to the eventual champion, Michigan. The previous year Houston’s season ended in a heart breaking loss in the National Championship. 

These two teams represent the Big 12 very well and should be considered contenders until further notice. 

BYU vs. Utah

It’s nice to see the Holy War get a home and home series. It would have been a travesty if it wasn’t, honestly. With the landscape of college sports these days, you can’t take any rivalry for granted anymore. 

Sure, Utah had a terrible season last year, but BYU was nationally relevant and a top 25 team all season. BYU is expected to be very good again this year with another top prospect named Bruce Branch. If Utah can be a little bit competitive, this series has the chance to get some prime time love.  

There are a couple of other interesting notes to come out of the schedule announcement that stood out. Kansas got the short end of the straw and is slated to play on the road against Arizona and Houston, the projected top two teams in the conference. 

It is nice the Jayhawks will get a home and home with longtime rival Kansas State. As discussed above, KU and Iowa State getting the home and home is huge. It is disappointing Kansas won’t get a home and home with Oklahoma State. That rivalry dates back prior to the Big 12 and back into the Big 8 days. 

The conference should have protected Kansas State and Iowa State playing a home and home series. Sure, the basketball rivalry isn’t as intense as the football rivalry with Farmageddon, but these two schools, like Kansas and Oklahoma State, have been long-time rivals. 

Moving forward, the old Big 8 rivals should be protected. The Big 12 should always schedule Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State as home and home matchups. Texas Tech and Baylor should also be a protected rivalry home and home series each year. Unfortunately that is not the case and Texas Tech will host Baylor this year for their lone game for the 2026-2027 season. Utah and BYU should be protected. Arizona and Arizona State should be protected. You could make a case for Texas Tech and TCU, which has been a nice rivalry of late. I would even say adding Arizona and Houston every year, with how solid both of those programs have been since joining the Big 12, would be appropriate. Anything else on the schedule should be up for grabs each year. 

Here is the full slate of matchups as presented by the Big 12: 

Former Kansas Jayhawks point guard Russell Robinson hasn’t played professionally since 2019, but his latest appearance near his old stomping grounds included an interesting comment on the state of his beloved alma mater.

While participating in the Rock Chalk Roundball Classic on Thursday, Robinson spent some time speaking about “front office” ambitions and taking recruiting efforts “global,” in a new video shared by KSNT 27 News of Topeka, Kansas.

After winning a national championship with the Jayhawks in 2008, Robinson spent much of his professional career overseas in Turkey, Italy, Poland, Greece and beyond.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“We need a front office.”<br> <br>2008 national champ, Russell Robinson is finishing up his doctorate degree in Raleigh. <br><br>I asked him if he thinks <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/KUMBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KUMBB</a> needs a GM ⬇<a href="https://x.com/KSNTSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KSNTSports</a> <a href="https://t.co/1yrQDwS9ou">pic.twitter.com/1yrQDwS9ou</a></p>&mdash; Sydney Clark (@SydneyClark___) <a href="https://x.com/SydneyClark___/status/2062950376463089853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Robinson’s comments come at a time when several college basketball programs are designating general managers and emulating that of a professional franchise when it comes establishing their presence nationally and globally.

“We need a front office,” Robinson said. “I was just talking with Mario (Chalmers), we’ve got too many guys with experience all over the world, global experience. I think they should open a front office, especially for the players as well, given the resources they need to be their best. All of that impacts winning, so we look forward to that. Hopefully they do it sooner than later.”

Kansas already employs a “director of basketball operations,” Lexi Price, who handles “day-to-day operations of the KU program, in addition to managing student-athlete enrollment, housing, team travel, and coordinating camps and clinics,” according to her official page on the school’s athletics website.

What Robinson is pushing for, though, is someone to take the established brand and its reach to the next level.

Several neighboring programs – Baylor, Cincinnati, Texas Tech, West Virginia and others – have designated a “general manager,” or a similar position supporting a coaching staff with the increasing demands of revenue sharing, recruiting, NIL deals and school-agent relations when it comes to their student athletes.

Bill Self and Kurtis Townsend have been star recruiters in the Big 12 for years, and landing the country’s top recruit Tyran Stokes over rival blue blood Kentucky is just the latest example. But even back-to-back freshman like Stokes or Darryn Peterson don’t automatically churn out wins, and a second-round exit in their latest NCAA Tournament run is proof. The Jayhawks were cleaned out thanks to the transfer portal, and maneuvered whatever money they could to convince Self not to retire.

Robinson’s argument, which if he’s chatting with the likes of Mario Chalmers, is likely shared by several former players that didn’t exactly earn a wage playing college basketball and are voicing their thoughts as to where the program’s headed. It’s worth mentioning Robinson has a Master’s of Business Administration from Arizona and is currently finishing his doctorate.

The Big 12 is navigating the changing college basketball landscape while also upholding its status as the best conference to watch hoops in the country. It’s not surprising alumni are taking notice, and it’s even encouraging, really, that former stars are seeking new avenues to attract talent and use their platforms for the betterment of their respective schools.

Give it time, almost everybody will have something similar to a “front office” in just a few short years.