Big 12 Media Days: Monster Title Deal, a 24-Team Playoff Push, and Four New Coaches
By faNILy Team ·
Conference media days season is officially underway. The Big 12 went first, gathering at The Star in Frisco, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, on July 7 and 8.
Commissioner Brett Yormark and the league's coaches covered a lot of ground. Here are the parts that matter most for the business of the sport, NIL, and fans, based on the Deseret News' takeaways from the week.
Monster Energy becomes the league's title sponsor
The biggest business headline was a major multiyear partnership that makes Monster the entitlement sponsor of Big 12 football and basketball regular seasons. Deseret News reported the deal is worth about $20 million a year and includes jersey patches, field and court branding, and "Monster Energy Big 12" naming.
Reaction was mixed. Some saw a welcome revenue boost. Others worried about over-commercializing the sport, the "NASCAR-ization" critique, and Deseret News columnist Dick Harmon argued the Big 12 should have received more money. Yormark also pointed to sponsorship revenue growth of 182%.
The money gap with the Big Ten and SEC
Yormark's remarks also addressed the financial gap between the Big 12 and the SEC and Big Ten. According to Deseret News, discussions included capital deals, lines of credit, and federal legislation that would provide athlete protections and stability. The paper's bottom line: closing that gap is unlikely "unless the feds step in."
Coaches want a bigger playoff
All 16 Big 12 head coaches backed expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, Deseret News reported. The league is 0-2 in the current 12-team format, so more access is a priority.
New faces
Four first-time Big 12 head coaches made their media days debuts: Collin Klein (Kansas State), Jimmy Rogers (Iowa State), Eric Morris (Oklahoma State), and Morgan Scalley (Utah). Harmon described Scalley's turn at the podium as "refreshing if not inspiring."
Why it matters for fans
The Monster deal is a good example of where conference money is coming from in the revenue-sharing era. With schools now paying athletes directly under a cap, leagues are hunting for new revenue, and that means more sponsor branding in places fans haven't seen it before. Whether fans embrace a patch on the jersey or roll their eyes at it, they're part of the value a sponsor is paying for.
The federal legislation talk matters too. Whatever Congress does will shape how NIL deals are reported, reviewed, and enforced, including the everyday deals between athletes and the fans and businesses who follow them.
And the playoff push is one to watch. A unanimous room of coaches is a strong signal of where the Big 12 will stand when the format debate heats up. Expect every commissioner to be asked about expansion and Congress over the next few weeks as the rest of the conferences hold their own media days.