The Big 12 consistently maintains a strong presence in college basketball due to several key factors: Competitive Balance: The conference boasts a high level of competitive balance, with many teams capable of contending for conference titles and making deep runs in the NCAA tournament. This competitiveness ensures thrilling matchups throughout the season and elevates the overall quality of play. Coaching Excellence: The Big 12 is home to some of the most respected and accomplished coaches in college basketball. These coaches have a proven track record of success, both in recruiting top talent and in developing players to reach their full potential. Their strategic acumen and ability to adapt to various opponents contribute significantly to the conference's basketball prowess. Talent Recruitment: Big 12 schools consistently attract top-tier talent, both nationally and internationally. With a combination of strong coaching, state-of-the-art facilities, and competitive programs, Big 12 teams are able to recruit elite players who have the skill and athleticism to compete at the highest level. Emphasis on Basketball: While football often takes the spotlight in many conferences, the Big 12 places a significant emphasis on basketball as well. This commitment to the sport is reflected in the resources invested in basketball programs, including top-notch facilities, robust recruiting efforts, and comprehensive coaching staffs. Tradition and History: Several Big 12 schools have rich basketball traditions with storied histories of success. Programs like Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma have a long legacy of excellence in basketball, which adds to the conference's overall reputation and competitiveness. Overall, the combination of competitive balance, coaching excellence, talent recruitment, emphasis on basketball, and tradition and history contributes to the Big 12's perennial strength in college basketball. Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBig12?sid=YouTube Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drakectoll Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LOBig12
The narrative that Texas Tech is "out-recruiting" the heavyweights in Austin and College Station has shifted from a bold prediction to a statistical reality. As of May 2026, Joey McGuire’s staff has leveraged a "brand-first" mentality and massive NIL backing to consistently beat the Longhorns and Aggies for blue-chip talent within the state borders. The 2027 Power ShiftNowhere is this more evident than the Class of 2027 rankings. As of mid-May, Texas Tech’s class ranks No. 2 nationally, sitting ahead of the Texas Longhorns.Dominating the Top 10: According to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the Red Raiders currently hold commitments from five of the top 10 Texas natives. The Crown Jewel: Landing five-star defensive lineman Jalen Brewster—the No. 1 player in the country on multiple sites—was a definitive statement. Brewster chose Lubbock over offers from Alabama, Miami, and Texas, signaling that the "top-tier" barrier has finally been broken. Strategic AdvantagesTexas Tech’s success is built on three pillars that the SEC-bound schools are currently struggling to match:NIL Aggression: Boosters like Cody Campbell and the The Matador Club have created one of the most transparent and lucrative NIL structures in the country. Tech is often able to "out-spend" rivals for specific high-priority targets. The "Vibes" vs. The "Grind": While Texas and A&M sell the prestige of the SEC, McGuire sells the "Red Raider Family" and immediate playing time. High school coaches across Texas have noted that Tech’s staff is more present in their hallways than any other program.Position-Specific Wins: Beyond Brewster, wins for four-star QB Kavian Bryant and five-star OT Cooper Hackett (who chose Tech over Oregon, OU, and A&M) show that Tech is winning the battles for the "premium" positions that traditionally went to Austin. While Texas A&M still holds the current No. 1 spot for 2027, the gap between the three schools has evaporated. Texas Tech is no longer fighting for the "leftovers"; they are taking the "first plate" in the Lone Star State. Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBig12?sid=YouTube Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drakectoll Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LOBig12
The recent headlines showing a wave of Big 12 schools—including Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, and Cincinnati—turning down the ...
While the origin of the NCAA’s investigation into Brendan Sorsby remains officially undisclosed, the circumstantial evidence pointing toward Cincinnati as the possible whistleblower is compelling. The timeline of events suggests that what began as a civil dispute over money may have mutated into a strategic "scorched earth" play by the Bearcats' administration. The most glaring motive is the ongoing $1 million lawsuit filed by Cincinnati against Sorsby in February 2026. After Sorsby bolted for a reported $5 million NIL package at Texas Tech, Cincinnati didn't just express disappointment; they took the rare step of suing their former star for a breach of a "lucrative" revenue-sharing agreement. In the high-stakes world of modern NIL, information is often used as leverage. If the Bearcats' legal discovery process or internal compliance monitoring flagged suspicious betting patterns from Sorsby’s tenure in the Queen City, the university had a massive financial and competitive incentive to weaponize that data. Furthermore, the "selective enforcement" mentioned in Sorsby’s recent motion to dismiss hints at a personal rift. If Cincinnati felt slighted by Sorsby’s departure, reporting the "thousands of wagers"—including the radioactive bets on Indiana—serves as a dual-purpose strike. It complicates Sorsby's defense in their civil suit and ensures that the Red Raiders, a fellow Big 12 rival, lose the centerpiece of their title defense. In a 2026 landscape where "loyalty" is bought and sold, the move to "rat out" a former player wouldn't just be about NCAA integrity—it would be a calculated business decision to protect university resources and exact a price for a $5 million defection. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. 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) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBig12?sid=YouTube Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drakectoll Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LOBig12
The concept of a formal merger between the Big 12 and the remnants of the Pac-12—often discussed in 2026 as the creation of a ...
The Brendan Sorsby gambling saga took a definitive turn today, April 27, 2026, as Texas Tech officially announced the star ...
The 2026 NIL landscape has shifted the balance of power in the Big 12, as Oklahoma State and West Virginia have executed a massive financial pivots to leapfrog established spenders like Texas Tech and BYU. While the Red Raiders and Cougars dominated the early NIL era, the "Pokes" and "Mountaineers" have recently tapped into deep-pocketed alumni networks to create a new tier of spending. Oklahoma State has signaled its "all-in" mentality with an estimated $55 million in collective NIL spending for 2026. This surge was catalyzed by a culture shift in Stillwater; after Mike Gundy famously took a $1 million pay cut to seed NIL funds, the "Pokes with a Purpose" collective saw record-breaking donor participation. This war chest was the primary engine behind the shocking commitment of Audi Crooks, who reportedly commanded a package exceeding $500,000—a figure previously unheard of for a single women’s basketball transfer at OSU. Similarly, West Virginia has utilized the "Country Roads Trust" to reach an $8–$9 million threshold for basketball alone, placing them in the nation's top tier. This investment allowed the Mountaineers to secure elite talent like Sam Leavitt ($4M valuation) and compete directly with Blue Bloods in the portal. By contrast, while Texas Tech and BYU remain "elite" spenders with healthy infrastructures, their growth has stabilized. Oklahoma State and WVU have entered a "hyper-growth" phase, realizing that in the 2026 conference hierarchy, being "flush with cash" is the only way to prevent being left behind in the next round of realignment. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get two-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. 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) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBig12?sid=YouTube Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drakectoll Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LOBig12
The potential addition of UConn to the Big 12 is a rare "triple-win" scenario that would solidify the conference as the undisputed ...
The Big 12 entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament with a record-tying eight bids, once again asserting its claim as the deepest ...