Houston Is Built for a College Football Playoff Breakthrough | Willie Fritz 1 on 1

SEC and Big Ten Bully the Big 12 and ACC Into Submission Again

The SEC and Big Ten appear poised to get many of the changes they demanded in the Protect College Sports Act, raising even more questions about who really controls the future of college football. John Kurtz breaks down the latest reporting on negotiations in Washington, including possible changes to conference expansion restrictions, media-rights pooling, NIL enforcement, transfer rules and eligibility limits. With Ted Cruz suggesting the bill could reach the Senate floor soon, the SEC and Big Ten may once again be positioned to shape the rules for everyone else. Plus, Michigan football is facing another major scandal after an external investigation revealed new details about what athletic director Warde Manuel knew regarding former head coach Sherrone Moore’s relationship with a staff member. Why has Michigan avoided becoming the national villain of college football despite scandals involving Jim Harbaugh, Connor Stalions and now Moore? Finally, new campaign finance records show Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell donated $274,000 to a committee supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton one day before Paxton threatened legal action against the Big 12 over Brendan Sorsby. Was it simply political influence, or something more concerning? And what does it tell us about how far Campbell is willing to go to get what he wants? Topics include: SEC and Big Ten Protect College Sports Act demands Big 12 and ACC conference expansion protections College football NIL and revenue sharing rules One-time transfer and five-year eligibility limits Michigan football scandal and Warde Manuel Sherrone Moore investigation Connor Stalions and Jim Harbaugh Cody Campbell donation to Ken Paxton Texas Tech and Brendan Sorsby Big 12 legal battle College football politics and corruption Get “Open For Business,” a Big 12 newsletter… sign up below: https://bit.ly/OFBNewsletter

Houston Is Built for a College Football Playoff Breakthrough | Willie Fritz 1 on 1

Can Houston break through and become a College Football Playoff contender in 2026? Willie Fritz believes the Cougars finally have the experience, depth and continuity needed to take a major step forward in the Big 12. Houston returns productive players on both sides of the ball, all three coordinators and a quarterback in Conner Weigman who is finally healthy and operating in the same offensive system for a second straight season. John Kurtz sits down with Fritz to discuss why Houston could be one of the Big 12’s surprise teams, how the Cougars upgraded the offensive line through the transfer portal and why the offense now has quality depth at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end. Fritz also talks about Houston’s two former five-star quarterbacks, Keisean Henderson’s rapid development, Amari Thomas’ NFL potential and why this roster is starting to look like the team he envisioned when he took the job. Could Houston make a run at the Big 12 Championship and crash the College Football Playoff? Get “Open For Business,” a Big 12 newsletter… sign up below: https://bit.ly/OFBNewsletter #HoustonFootball #HoustonCougars #WillieFritz #Big12 #CollegeFootballPlayoff #ConnerWeigman #CollegeFootball

The Rise of Arizona Football: One Change Made it Happen | 1 on 1 With Brent Brennan

**Plan your trip to Provo for a BYU game: https://www.utahvalley.com/ **Book your stay at Sundance Resort: https://www.sundanceresort.com/ **See what a Provo trip is really like: https://youtu.be/G9nzKwgbG_4 Arizona football is rising fast under Brent Brennan. After a major breakthrough season, Brennan explains what changed inside the Wildcats’ program, why simplifying the message helped everything click and how Arizona created stronger alignment between its coaches and players. John Kurtz sits down with Brennan to discuss the rise of Arizona football, Noah Fifita’s loyalty to the program and why the star quarterback chose legacy over chasing money in the transfer portal. Brennan also explains why he believes Fifita is one of the best stories in college football. The conversation also covers Brennan’s lessons from Phil Jackson, Arizona’s approach to building through the transfer portal, replacing an NFL-caliber defensive backfield and the biggest factor that will determine whether the Wildcats can take another step in the Big 12. Can Arizona football build on its breakthrough and become a consistent Big 12 contender? Get “Open For Business,” a Big 12 newsletter… sign up below: https://bit.ly/OFBNewsletter #ArizonaFootball #ArizonaWildcats #BrentBrennan #NoahFifita #Big12 #CollegeFootball #TransferPortal

Kalani Sitake Reveals the Real Reason He Stayed at BYU: 1 on 1 with Kalani Sitake

Kalani Sitake is opening up about why he chose to stay at BYU. After drawing interest from other major programs, including Penn State, Sitake wanted to know whether BYU was truly committed to making football a priority in the Big 12. His answer came through increased resources, better support for players, more opportunities to retain his coaching staff and a long-term commitment from the university. John Kurtz sits down with Sitake to discuss what BYU had to prove, why he did not want the Cougars to simply be “invited to the party” and how the program is now positioning itself to become a lasting Big 12 contender. Sitake also talks about BYU’s roster retention, Bear Bachmeier’s development, the transition from Jay Hill to Kelly Poppinga, the importance of the Notre Dame game and why the Cougars believe they have the pieces to compete for a Big 12 championship. Did BYU finally go all-in on football? Get “Open For Business,” a Big 12 newsletter… sign up below: https://bit.ly/OFBNewsletter #BYU #BYUFootball #KalaniSitake #Big12 #CollegeFootball #PennState #NotreDame

The Truth About Iowa State’s NIL Situation; Cyclones Insider Tells All

**Plan your trip to Provo for a BYU game: https://www.utahvalley.com/ **Book your stay at Sundance Resort: https://www.sundanceresort.com/ **See what a Provo trip is really like: https://youtu.be/G9nzKwgbG_4 How far behind is Iowa State in the NIL race, and can the Cyclones still compete near the top of the Big 12? Chris Williams of Cyclone Fanatic and Iowa Everywhere gives an honest assessment of Iowa State’s financial position in modern college athletics. He explains why the Cyclones are in a much better place than they were one year ago, but still likely remain below the middle of the Big 12 in football resources. The conversation also covers the optimism surrounding Iowa State’s new president, whether Jamie Pollard was slow to adjust to the NIL era and why the Cyclones’ passionate fan base gives the program a chance to close the financial gap. John Kurtz and Chris also discuss Jimmy Rogers replacing Matt Campbell, the strategy behind Iowa State’s roster turnover, realistic expectations for the Cyclones and why Rogers inherited a much better situation than Campbell did. Plus, they examine Jamie Pollard’s renewed energy, why T.J. Otzelberger continues to choose Iowa State, the financial decisions involving Milan Momcilovic and Audi Crooks, and whether Iowa State is actually better off competing in the Big 12 than becoming an afterthought in a richer conference. CHAPTERS 00:00 The truth about Iowa State’s NIL situation 00:17 Has Iowa State stabilized under Jimmy Rogers? 01:21 The strategy behind Iowa State’s roster turnover 01:50 Can Iowa State make a bowl game? 02:18 Resetting expectations after Matt Campbell 02:47 What Iowa State could have been with Campbell 03:44 Did Iowa State announce Jimmy Rogers too quickly? 05:13 How Jamie Pollard found Iowa State’s next coach 05:42 Jimmy Rogers always wanted the Iowa State job 07:09 Iowa State’s trip to BYU and Provo 08:56 How far behind is Iowa State in NIL? 09:54 Why Iowa State’s fan base provides hope 10:23 Iowa State’s new president could change things 11:21 Jamie Pollard’s future and CyTown 12:20 Jamie Pollard has his edge back 13:46 Why T.J. Otzelberger stayed at Iowa State 15:15 Can Otzelberger take Iowa State to a Final Four? 16:45 Iowa State basketball’s NIL position 17:14 The Milan Momcilovic financial decision 18:12 Audi Crooks and the cost of retaining stars 18:41 Is Iowa State better off in the Big 12? 19:36 Why the Big 12 is not going away 20:26 Big 12 stability compared to the ACC 21:22 Can Jimmy Rogers maintain Campbell’s standard? 22:52 Why coaches may choose fit over bigger jobs 23:20 Jimmy Rogers inherited a better situation than Campbell Get “Open For Business,” a Big 12 newsletter… sign up below: https://bit.ly/OFBNewsletter #IowaState #Cyclones #IowaStateFootball #Big12 #NIL #JimmyRogers #JamiePollard