In the coming days, coaches, players and administrators from all 16 teams in the Big 12 will gather at The Star in Frisco, Texas, for the conference’s annual football media days.
This year, for the first time in quite a while, the league finds itself in a position of relative stability among its members. However, there are still challenges ahead, particularly with the new revenue-sharing arrangements stemming from the House settlement.
Here are five key points to keep an eye on during the week:
Welcome back
A pair of familiar faces will make their debuts this week as UCF’s Scott Frost and West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez return to their former schools.
It’s been eight seasons since Frost last coached the Knights, previously spending two seasons with the program from 2016-17. He left to take the coaching job at Nebraska before eventually being let go after nearly five seasons.
Rodriquez spent seven seasons with the Mountaineers from 2001 to 2007, leading the program to a 60-26 record highlighted by four Big East titles and a win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in 2005. WVU finished in the top 10 of the Associated Press top 25 poll in its final three seasons.
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Fear the Fork
Arizona State is coming off a miraculous season in which the Sun Devils earned a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff despite being picked to finish last in last season’s Big 12 preseason poll.
There will be no slight this season, as the league has abolished the preseason poll, but that shouldn’t stop ASU from being projected to finish near the top in preseason magazines such as Phil Steele, Lindy’s Sports and Athlon Sports.
Arizona State returns 17 starters from last season, led by quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who were named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, respectively. There’s no Cam Skattebo, but the Sun Devils return one of the most experienced defenses in the league.
All eyes on Prime Time
Colorado coach Deion Sanders made a huge splash during last season’s media day event as the Buffaloes made their return to the Big 12 for the first time since 2010. The media swarmed around Coach Prime.
But he wasn’t the only one, as son and CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders also stole the show, earning plenty of attention among his peers. However, with Sanders gone, along with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, the Buffaloes will have a new look heading into the 2025 season.
Former Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter steps in for Sanders. Still, it will be trying to find a replacement for Hunter, who dominated on both sides of the ball, which could make this season an interesting one in Boulder.
Red Raiders make a push
Few teams invested more in their rosters this offseason than Texas Tech, which benefited from the support of mega-booster Cody Campbell. The Red Raiders are reportedly spending upwards of $50 million in revenue-sharing and NIL deals to make a serious run at the Big 12 championship and a possible spot in the College Football Playoff.
Coach Joey McGuire is sure to be asked about this win-at-all-costs attitude, with a massive commitment to rebuilding the roster through the transfer portal, including the addition of former UCF nose tackle Lee Hunter, as well as former Stanford edge rusher David Bailey.
Texas Tech hopes quarterback Behren Morton can survive a full season and that Quinten Joyner can fill a vacuum created by the departure of running back Tahj Brooks.
BYU in turmoil
The storyline surrounding BYU was supposed to be about how the Cougars have enough talent to make another serious run at a Big 12 championship; however, much of the focus will be on the status of quarterback Jake Retzlaff.
It was announced last week that the senior was going to be suspended for the first seven games of this season after violating the school’s honor policy after admitting to premarital sex during legal proceedings in a sexual assault lawsuit. But even before the lawsuit was dropped, Retzlaff reportedly had planned to enter the transfer portal.
Retzlaff’s departure leaves BYU scrambling to find its next starter in a competitive schedule that features road games at Colorado, Iowa State and Texas Tech.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.