Brett Yormark didn’t necessarily want to say it. He danced around the Texas and Oklahoma departures the majority of Big 12 media day.
But when explicitly asked about what type of loss they would be for the conference, particularly in recruiting, he almost couldn’t help himself.
“I’m not sure they have carried recruiting,” Yormark said. “They haven’t been in a championship game here for a couple of years now. All the other schools have done an incredible job. So I’m not sure if they have carried recruiting in this conference.
“I mean I love Texas and Oklahoma, don’t get me wrong. Like I said before, I’ve got great relationships with them. But our schools are doing an incredible job in recruitment. Look at TCU last year. Eighty percent of our teams made a bowl game last year. So everybody is in a great place.”
Essentially this was the commissioner’s pitch that the Big 12 would be just fine after Texas and Oklahoma leave. That depth and parity are stronger than two of the biggest brands in the sport.
“[Our teams] have the confidence,” Yormark said. “They come here [to Arlington] thinking they have got a chance to win a championship and return to AT&T Stadium. Maybe I’m naive to it, but candidly I think all of them are doing a great job and all of them feel on Day 1 they have a chance.”
This type of response, though, was expected from the Yormark. He has said it in more subtle ways in the past.
But what about other Big 12 coaches, like BYU’s Kalani Sitake. Although a newcomer to the Power Five, Sitake’s spent time at Utah and in the Pac-12. What does he think about the Big 12′s strength after the two most recognizable names leave?
“If I’m looking at just the film, this is a talented conference and well coached,” Sitake said. “It is a creative conference with so much explosive football in all three phases. But if you are talking offense and defense, it is a unique conference. From top to bottom they are all great teams. Just watch the film, it is pretty evident. Doesn’t matter what team you are putting up, there are athletes all over the place. It is going to be difficult. It is going to be a lot of fun, too.”
It seemed like an oddly familiar approach to Yormark’s remarks. But Sitake seemed to believe it. Parity, of course, is something that could theoretically help BYU in its first Big 12 season. It is something Sitake is banking on.
“I mean I’m looking at the last six teams that played for championships here in the last three years and there is a lot of parity there,” Sitake said. “So I’m hoping that our team can add to that.”
Quick Hits
• BYU head coach Mark Pope is looking to hire an assistant coach and finalize his staff in the next few weeks. He has two openings to fill before the start of the season.
• Kalani Sitake didn’t shy away from expectations in BYU’s first year in the Power Five. A dispatch on Sitake’s outlook from Arlington.
• Tom Holmoe believes BYU will be better than No. 11 in the Big 12 this season. More on that and his thoughts on Sitake’s offseason moves.
• What were other Big 12 coaches saying about BYU during the program’s first media day.
Around the Big 12
Baylor — Could Baylor’s rushing attack make up for its passing game? A new addition to the backfield could help.
UCF — John Rhys Plumlee talks playing in football spring scrimmage and baseball game back-to-back.
Cincinnati — Gets a Big Ten transfer out of the portal.
Houston — Holgorsen talks transition to the Big 12.
Iowa State — Is the constant churn of conference realignment a positive for college football?
Kansas — Should football coaches be sounding the alarm on gambling? Leipold weighs in.
Kansas State — How Will Howard eyes a follow up act to Big 12 championship.
Oklahoma — What Finebaum had to say about the Sooners.
Oklahoma State — Gundy puts Bedlam to bed.
TCU — Sonny Dykes talks new clock rule. The TCU coach, who makes a living off of comebacks, wasn’t a fan.
Texas — Is it time to believe the Texas hype? It is OK to be weary.
Texas Tech — Renovation in Lubbock continues on AT&T Stadium.
West Virginia — Neal Brown strongly disagrees with the Big 12 preseason poll.
