Big 12 media days always come with a little theater, and this year’s version already has a few names and topics ready to steal the spotlight.
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire is going to spend plenty of time fielding questions about Brendan Sorsby, even though Sorsby is no longer there. The expectation is that McGuire will be asked about the situation over and over once he takes the podium on Tuesday.
It’s the kind of topic that keeps hanging around because people still want an explanation for why things were handled the way they were. That’s a fair question, but it’s also one that could wear thin fast if it keeps coming back all day.
Still, there’s no escaping it: when Texas Tech is discussed, Sorsby is going to be part of the conversation.
Among the Big 12’s four new head coaches - Collin Klein, Jimmy Rogers, Morgan Scalley, and Eric Morris - Morris feels like the one most likely to turn heads. Replacing Mike Gundy was always going to draw attention, and that alone makes Morris a fascinating figure in this group.
He made a name for himself by helping put North Texas football on the map, and he brought a lot of talent with him to Stillwater. There’s real belief that he could have success right away, and that confidence seems to be part of why he stands out.
At 40, he has already turned around two programs as a head coach, doing it at Incarnate Word and North Texas. That kind of track record is why plenty of people expect him to make a strong first impression.
Then there’s Brett Yormark, who has become one of the most compelling voices at Big 12 media day. He has a reputation for answering questions directly, and this is exactly the kind of setting where that matters.
There’s a long list of issues around college athletics right now, and Yormark should have no shortage of material. An update on the conference is expected, along with his thoughts on the Protect College Sports Act pending in Congress and playoff expansion.
Nothing he says is locked in, of course, but that’s not really the point. The appeal is that he’s willing to say what he thinks, and that makes his opening remarks worth watching.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Fans Got The JT Toppin Update They Needed
Texas Tech got the kind of roster news that can shape an offseason in a hurry, with JT Toppin back in the conversation after a season that made him one of the Big 12s most productive players. The Red Raiders announced the update on social media, and it matters because Toppin was not just a leading scorer for the 2025-26 team, he was also an All-American and a Big 12 First Team selection before his year was cut short in February.
His absence down the stretch was felt in postseason play, and now the focus shifts to what Texas Tech can build around him going forward. The Red Raiders are piecing together the 2026-27 roster with a mix of returning pieces and transfer additions, and Toppins place in that group gives the program a clear centerpiece as it keeps filling in the rest of the puzzle. [Read more 🡒]
Former Red Raider Eric Morris Faces A Brutal Oklahoma State Reality
Eric Morris is learning quickly that the job he took at Oklahoma State comes with a heavy lift. In his first year running the program, the former Texas Tech quarterback and assistant is trying to steer the Cowboys out of a deep conference slide, and he spent Big 12 media days talking through the reality of rebuilding a team that has to change fast if it wants to matter again in league play.
Much of that reset is already underway. Morris has brought over a large portion of his North Texas operation to help install his system and culture, and the roster will look almost nothing like the one that finished last season. With preseason practice approaching, Oklahoma State is set to open with 87 newcomers, a sign of how much turnover Morris is asking his first Cowboys team to absorb before the real evaluation even begins. [Read more 🡒]
Bearcats Left Hanging Over One Massive Unanswered Gambling Question
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark had little to say when asked about the NCAAs handling of the gambling questions swirling around former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The league office has been drawn into a matter that has already pushed the Bearcats into an uncomfortable spotlight, with the NCAA acknowledging it received a tip tied to Sorsbys gambling activity and Cincinnati reiterating that it provides gambling education and would not knowingly put an ineligible athlete on the field.
For Texas Tech and the rest of the Big 12, the issue matters because it goes beyond one player and one school. Yormarks refusal to engage only added to the sense that the conference is waiting on answers it does not yet have, and Cincinnatis position leaves a key piece of the story unresolved for now. The questions around what the school knew, and when it knew it, remain at the center of a developing situation that could still grow more complicated. [Read more 🡒]