Locked On Big 12 | Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast

The narrative surrounding the Big 12 heading into the 2026 college football season has taken an unexpected turn in the eyes of national prognosticators. As the Walter Camp Football Foundation—one of the NCAA’s five official selectors—unveiled its 2026 preseason All-American teams, a striking reality emerged: the Big 12 conference was absent from the first-team rosters.

While the SEC, Big Ten, and other power conferences dominated the spotlight with a heavy concentration of elite talent, the Big 12 found itself on the outside looking in regarding the highest level of preseason individual recognition. To be clear, this is not a reflection of a lack of talent across the conference, but rather an indication of how national selectors are currently viewing the league's top stars compared to their counterparts at programs like Texas, Ohio State, or Oregon.

From a branding perspective, this "snub" is fodder for the locker room. For head coaches across the conference, it provides a perfect, ready-made chip to place on their players' shoulders. The absence of Big 12 names on the first-team Walter Camp list highlights a shift in perception as the conference navigates its current iteration. While players like Baylor punter Palmer Williams and West Virginia running back Cam Cook appeared on secondary lists, the lack of a first-team presence serves as a wake-up call for a league that prides itself on depth and parity.

Ultimately, preseason awards are just noise—a snapshot of expectation rather than performance. The Big 12 has historically thrived on the "us against the world" mentality, and if this list is any indication, the conference will be entering the 2026 campaign with plenty to prove. Whether this perceived lack of respect serves as motivation for a group of hungry programs remains one of the more compelling subplots to watch as the season kicks off.

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West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez has recently sparked conversation regarding the future structure of college football, advocating for a return to regionalized conferences. In a landscape increasingly dominated by national super-conferences and sprawling travel demands, Rodriguez is pushing for a model that mirrors the NFL, where teams are grouped by proximity to reignite dormant rivalries and prioritize fan experience.

Highlighting the unique geographic position of the Mountaineers, Rodriguez noted that West Virginia is surrounded by schools with which they share deep historical and cultural ties. Specifically, he pointed to programs like Pitt, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Virginia, and Cincinnati. He believes that forming a league—or at least a division—comprised of these nearby institutions would be a massive win for the sport. "Our fans would eat that up," Rodriguez remarked, emphasizing that these types of storied, regional rivalries are what made college football special in the first place.

For Rodriguez, this is not just a nostalgic desire for the way things used to be; it is a practical approach to organizing a sport that is currently juggling the logistical headaches of massive, disconnected conferences. He suggests that as the sport trends toward a structure of just three or four major leagues containing 20 to 24 teams each, organizing these leagues into smaller, 5-to-8-team regional pods would simplify scheduling and restore the "fan intrigue" that has been diluted by the shift toward a national scope.

While he acknowledges that existing, long-term television agreements make such a radical restructuring unlikely in the immediate future, his comments reflect a growing sentiment that the current trajectory of college athletics has drifted too far from the roots that built the sport’s most iconic rivalries. For fans in Morgantown and beyond, the prospect of playing regional foes like Pitt on an annual basis remains a tantalizing "what if" that Rodriguez clearly wishes could become a reality once more.

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The professional football future of former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has hit a major wall, leaving his immediate career in limbo. While he is not necessarily "done" with football for the rest of his life, his path to the sport has been effectively closed for the 2026 season.

Sorsby’s situation became untenable following a string of high-stakes setbacks. After being declared permanently ineligible by the NCAA due to an extensive history of sports betting—which included thousands of wagers totaling nearly $90,000—Sorsby’s attempt to bypass traditional barriers by entering the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft was denied. The league informed both Sorsby and all 32 teams that it would not hold a supplemental draft this year, citing the complexity of his situation and the league’s rigorous stance on competition integrity.

To further complicate his prospects, the CFL has officially barred its teams from signing him or placing him on their negotiation lists, effectively closing the door on a professional route in Canada. In its correspondence, the NFL pointedly noted that Sorsby failed to demonstrate accountability for his past conduct or provide clarity on how he would adhere to league policies in the future.

Consequently, the league has explicitly directed him to focus on preparing for the 2027 NFL Draft. While some scouts have suggested he possesses the raw talent to be a Day 2 pick, his path forward is narrow. To play again, Sorsby must convince NFL organizations that he has fully addressed his gambling addiction and that his character warrants the significant risk of a roster spot. For now, he remains in an professional void, waiting to see if any team is willing to gamble on a prospect whose own career was derailed by his personal choices in the betting arena.

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The tension between the Big 12 Conference and Texas Tech reached a boiling point in June 2026, centering on the eligibility of quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The controversy began when Sorsby, despite a permanent NCAA ban for wagering on his own games while at Indiana, secured a temporary injunction from a Texas court that cleared him to play for the Red Raiders.

The Big 12, citing deep concerns over "reputational harm" and the integrity of league competition, took the rare step of filing a federal lawsuit against Texas Tech, the Texas Tech University System, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The conference sought a declaratory judgment to confirm its right to enforce internal bylaws—specifically the authority to sanction member institutions—without facing state-level legal retaliation. Paxton had previously warned the conference that any sanctions against Texas Tech would be "unlawful" and could expose the Big 12 and its member schools to over $200 million in liability, citing antitrust and breach-of-contract concerns.

This legal confrontation escalated quickly, with other conference members reportedly discussing potential boycotts of games against Texas Tech. The atmosphere became increasingly adversarial, pitting the autonomy of a private athletic conference against state-level intervention.

However, the legal standoff was effectively rendered moot by a sudden resolution from the university itself. On the evening of June 15, Texas Tech announced that Sorsby would not be a member of the Red Raider football team for the 2026 season. Citing the impossibility of resolving the complex web of pending litigation before the NFL’s supplemental draft deadline, Sorsby opted to move on. While the primary catalyst for the suit—the prospect of Sorsby suiting up—has been removed, the filing remains a significant chapter in the ongoing struggle over governance authority in modern college athletics.

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The 2026 NBA Draft reached its highly anticipated conclusion tonight at the Barclays Center, with BYU standout AJ Dybantsa officially cementing his status as a generational prospect by being selected No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards. After months of speculation and a tight three-way race between Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer, the Wizards ultimately opted for the 6-foot-9 forward to anchor their long-term rebuild.

Dybantsa’s selection marks a historic moment for both the player and the city of Boston, as he becomes the first Massachusetts-born prospect to be drafted first overall since Patrick Ewing in 1985. His rise to the top spot was fueled by a dominant freshman season at BYU, where he averaged a nation-leading 25.5 points per game. Throughout the pre-draft process, scouts lauded his unique blend of elite length, fluid athleticism, and perimeter shot-creation—traits that mirror his basketball idol, Kevin Durant.

For the Washington Wizards, this selection represents a pivotal shift in franchise direction. After years of struggling to find a consistent identity, the front office is betting that Dybantsa can thrive alongside star point guard Trae Young and veteran big man Anthony Davis. The pressure will be immense, but the expectations are even higher; Washington is looking for a transformative cornerstone to help them climb the ranks of a competitive Eastern Conference.

As Dybantsa slipped on his new Wizards hat and greeted Commissioner Adam Silver on stage, he spoke of the discipline and sacrifice that brought him to this point. While Peterson and Boozer followed closely behind at picks No. 2 and No. 3, the night belonged to Dybantsa. He now transitions from the college sensation who broke BYU’s freshman scoring record to the face of the Wizards' franchise, tasked with the challenge of revitalizing basketball in the nation’s capital.

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FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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