Colorado head coach Deion Sanders put a bow on the Big 12 Media Days events. Coach Prime was the last coach to address the media on the last day of the conference. He brought a lot to the Q&A, but what Sanders brought the most was “love.”
A few of those random pop-up blog sites had reported that Sanders would not make the event due to recent health concerns. But there he was on stage, having shaved his gray beard, and putting aside the sunglasses that he routinely wears with the media.
Deion Brings the Love
He delivered an opening statement that made it clear he was happy to be well enough to be there and grateful to a lot of people. “Brett Yormark (Big 12 Commissioner), I love you, man. You have no idea how much I appreciate you,” Sanders said. “Rick (George), my AD, I love you to life. You’ve always believed,” he said as he went through a list of George’s attributes.
As for his fellow Big 12 coaches, “I love them. They have been calling, checking on me, making sure I’m straight.”
Sanders had a particular love for Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire. “Joey got some money! I love me some Joey McGuire!” Deion showed some lighthearted envy for the newfound booster riches for the Red Raiders. “Can you send some of those dollars to us?”
Staggering Numbers
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy talked about roster management and turnover in the era of the transfer portal. After the 2024 season, in which the Cowboys went 3-9 overall and were winless in Big 12 play, a lot of changes were in order in Stillwater.
And then Gundy dropped these numbers. He has 65 new players on the roster…since June! That’s right. Not 65 players since the end of last season. Sixty-five new players since June. That would be high school signees who were not early enrollees in time for Spring camp, and the transfer that came in the second portal window. That is 65 players who have yet to take a snap at an Oklahoma State practice who will be counted on this Fall.
On the system changes in recent years, Gundy said, “We all live day to day now.”
Speaking of Numbers
Rich Rodriguez talked about his return to West Virginia. He said that when you take a new job, it generally means about six to nine months to acquaint yourself with all the new elements in your life. With this being his second stint in Morgantown, he said it took about six to nine minutes.
Coach Speak of the Day
TCU coach Sonny Dykes was asked what would make for a successful season for the Horned Frogs. “To reach our potential,” Dykes responded. Because the cliché fell short of a complete answer, he added, “What does that look like? I really don’t know right now.”
Dressed to Impress?
Most coaches at most of these events come in suits and ties with some sartorial coordination that matches the school’s colors. But there were some exceptions on Wednesday.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham wore a black turtle neck and a dark blue blazer. Throw in the slick-backed gray hair, and he looked like he was headed to his favorite jazz nightclub when Media Days was over.
The newly clean-shaven Sanders wore a black suit with a Colorado logo t-shirt.
And then there was Gundy, who, even unshaven, managed to find a school polo shirt to wear. To be fair, Gundy did comment on how he is in the new version of EA Sports College Football 26. “I think it’s pretty cool somebody put me in a video game,” he said. “Somebody showed me the picture just recently of it. They gave me a great hair-do, like I have really great hair.”
Changes Called For
Invariably, the coaches get asked about the recent changes in the system with the House v. NCAA settlement, the portal, roster management, etc.
Rodriguez said there are “A lot better guardrails than a month ago. It was a cluster for the last three or four years.” He added that he thinks it is better now, but still with much more work to be done. “Until we get some congressional, or some help from DC and get more guardrails on the deal, it’s still going to be a little bit of a cluster.”
Dykes referred to the changes as, “Surgery by chainsaw.” He added, “My sincere hope is that everyone operates within the spirit of the rules.” There was no pause for laughter.
Sanders advocated for a financial cap for the players (yeah, we know), a tighter rein on tampering, and the portal (he asked how the media knows one of his players has an offer from another team when they are not even in the portal). And then there was a radical demand. He wants players to have to return to wearing football pants down to the knees, complete with knee pads. “Guys are wearing bike shorts.”
Main Image: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
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