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Big 12 Notebook: Media Days kicks off in Frisco Published 10:53 pm Tuesday, July 7, 2026 FRISCO The 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Football Media Days kicked off on Tuesday at the Ford Center.
The Big 12 announced a multiyear entitlement partnership with Monster Energy worth a reported $20 million annually that will brand its sports as Monster Energy Big 12 Football and Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball.
The deal includes patches on jerseys and playing surfaces.
With the FIFA World Cup taking place down the road in Arlington, the theme was football meets futbol.
The Big 12 will have two international games this season TCU vs.
North Carolina at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, and Arizona State vs.
Kansas at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
The Big 12 aims to be the most globally relevant conference in college athletics, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said.
Texas Tech, Baylor, Houston, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, BYU, Central Florida and Colorado were the teams in attendance on Tuesday and TCU, Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Utah and West Virginia are scheduled for Wednesday.
BRENDAN SORSBY AND TEXAS TECH It was no surprise that the first question for Yormark on Tuesday was about quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who transferred from Cincinnati to Texas Tech before being ruled ineligible by the NCAA due to gambling.
Let me start off by saying I appreciate the question, Yormark said.
I appreciate other questions that are probably going to come forth today.Today is not the time to address that issue.
Today is about celebrating the upcoming football season and celebrating our 16 schools, but I appreciate the question, so thank you.
When asked about Texas Tech supporting Sorsby, Texas Tech head football coach Joey McGuire responded, Thats a great question, man.
Its tough.
You know, the thing for me that through all of this, my president and my AD, who are good friends of mine, who believed in me, who hired me, they went through a lot.
If you look as a whole, there were not a lot of coaches that said really a whole lot.There were some funny jabs taken by some coaches, but there wasnt a lot of coaches that just really came out and said a lot of different things.
For my peers, I got a lot of support.
Eric Morris (Oklahoma State head football coach), the first day any news broke, called me and said, Hey, man, Imjust doing a well check.
Hes a good friend of mine.
Kalani (BYU head football coach Sitake), a great friend of mine, said the same thing.
Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State head football coach) made a joke in a group text and called me and said, You know I was kidding.
I said, Kenny, dude, I get it, man.For me, my peers, I had so much support from my peers.
And it was tough to see Kirby (Hocutt) and President (Lawrence) Schovanec have to go through that.
I hate that for them.
The thing that we really try to focus on is the Red Raiders and our alumni base and our boosters.
Thats who whenever Ive talked to, answered any emails, texts, or anything like that those are the ones that I concerned to make sure they understand where we were coming from.
ALL-BIG 12 PRESEASON TEAM AND AWARDS Former Tatum standout C.J.
Fite of Arizona State was one of four defensive linemen chosen for the Preseason All-Big 12 team.
Fite is coming off a season where he had 29 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble.
BYU running back LJ Martin was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Texas Tech defensive lineman A.J.
Holmes was chosen as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker was selected as the Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
The preseason offense is quarterback Noah Fifita, Arizona; running backs Cam Cook, West Virginia and LJ Martin, BYU; fullback Kayden Luke, West Virginia; wide receivers Omarion Miller, Arizona State, Amare Thomas, Houston and Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State; tight end Terrance Carter Jr., Texas Tech; offensive linemen Joe Cotton, Cincinnati, Shadre Hurst, Houston, Bruce Mitchell, BYU, John Pastore, Kansas State and Evan Tengedahl, Cincinnati; kicker Stone Harrington, Texas Tech; and kick returner/punt returner Mana Carvalho, Utah.
The preseason defense is defensive linemen C.J.
Fite, Arizona State, Wendell Gregory, Kansas State, A.J.
Holmes, Texas Tech, Keanu Tanuvasa, BYU and Adam Trick, Texas Tech; linebackers Ben Roberts, Texas Tech, Austin Romaine, Kansas State and Cade Uluave, BYU; defensive backs Will James, Houston, Evan Johnson, BYU, Jamel Johnson, TCU, Brice Pollock and Faletau Satuala, BYU; and punter Palmer Williams, Baylor.
EAST TEXANS IN THE BIG 12 Big 12 rosters have multiple players either from East Texas or with East Texas ties.
For TCU are defensive lineman Travis Jackson (Tyler Legacy), safety Julius Simms (Whitehouse), cornerback Micah Strickland (Brownsboro), running back Jon Denman (Palestine Westwood), defensive tackle Perry Cole Jr.
(Palestine/Trinity Valley Community College), safety Kaden McFadden (Pleasant Grove), quarterback David Potter (Texas High) and defensive lineman Duncan McGhee (Texas High).
Assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Malcolm Kelly is a former Longview High School standout, and defensive line coach JaMarkus McFarland is a former Lufkin High School standout.
For Baylor are running back Dawson Pendergrass (Mineola), safety Demetrius Brisbon (Chapel Hill), offensive lineman Keystone Allison (Carthage) and safety Daniel Cobbs (Tyler Junior College).
For Arizona State are defensive lineman C.J.
Fite (Tatum), defensive back Montana Warren (Marshall/Henderson/Elysian Fields/Jefferson), defensive back Lyrik Rawls (Marshall/Jefferson) and athlete Clayton Smith (Texas High).
For Texas Tech are running back JKoby Williams (Beckville), linebacker Kaegan Ash (Mount Enterprise), cornerback SVioarean Martin (Palestine), defensive lineman Ayden Johnson (Mount Pleasant) and running back Ashton Rowden (New Boston).
The Red Raiders run game coordinator and tight ends coach is Hallsvilles Josh Cochran, brother of Lindale head football coach Chris Cochran and Lindale offensive coordinator Matt Cochran.
For Colorado are running back DeKalon Taylor (Longview) and linebacker Carson Crawford (Carthage).
Head coach Deion Sanders has a house in Canton.
For Oklahoma State are defensive end Keviyan Huddleston (Chapel Hill), cornerback Kollin Lewis (Gladewater), offensive lineman Braydon Nelson (Kilgore) and offensive lineman Caleb Hackleman (Pleasant Grove).
For Kansas is tight end Jailen Butler (Trinity Valley Community College).
For Cincinnati is offensive lineman Judea Milon (Tyler Junior College).
For Houston is defensive lineman Kaleb Walker (Lindale).
Central Florida head coach Scott Frost is the son of Larry Frost, who was the head coach at Palestine High School from 1982-85, leading the Wildcats to a record of 15-25-1, including 6-4-1 in 1984.
NEW HEAD COACHES IN THE LEAGUE There are four new head coaches in the Big 12.
Eric Morris goes to Oklahoma State after being the head coach at North Texas.
Collin Klein goes to Kansas State after being the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M.
Jimmy Rogers takes over at Iowa State after being the head coach at Washington State.
Morgan Scalley takes over at Utah after being the defensive coordinator at Utah.
Morris was the lone new coach to speak on Tuesday with the other three set to take the stage on Wednesday.
QUOTES OF THE DAY Ive said continuously I think hes (Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian) one of the best play callers in the game today.
Shoot, we were texting the other day.
Jeff Traylor put me and Sark in a group text.
Theres a Division I panel at the THSCA Coaching School, and he wants to sit between us.
I told Jeff hes going to have to step up his sports coat game if hes going to sit between me and Sark.
Sark is probably going to have on the burnt orange sports coat, and Im going to wear this one or wear a red one.
Texas Tech head coach McGuire I dont know about the video games.
I have a wonderful team that handles a lot of business for me.
If Im not in the game, that means they werent paying enough.
They probably didnt fit where were going right now.
Thats probably it.
It was probably just that simplistic.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders on not being included in EA Sports College Football 27 My first Media Day was in 1993 at Navarro Community College cafeteria, so this is a few more people than I had back in 93, Houston head coach Willie Fritz I went through second through fifth grade in Palestine in East Texas near Tyler.
You know where it is.
Dad had a really special player in Ivory Lee Brown.
That was like my hero.
Ivory was Adrian Petersons uncle, I believe.
It was a great experience for me to be down here.
I certainly know the type of talent that exists in Florida and the type of talent that exists in Texas.
Recruiting is different now.
I think more than ever kids are willing to go anywhere.
Its hard to cast your net so wide that you look under every rock and every corner for players, but were going to be willing to go anywhere in the country, including Texas, to get players.
I know Orlando is a really awesome place, and kids are going to want to be there, so I think we will have success when we do venture out of the state.
Central Florida head coach Scott Frost.