Photo by: Liz Parke
Bowlsby Kicks Off 2018 Season At Big 12 Media Days
July 16, 2018 06:22 PM | Football
FRISCO, Texas - Veteran Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowslby was full of good news during today's Big 12 media days at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Bowlsby lifted the lid on this year's two-day event with his yearly update on league happenings - all of which were positive.
He pointed out the Big 12 was the only conference in the country to have teams in last year's College Football Playoff (Oklahoma), men's Final Four (Kansas), College World Series (Texas and Texas Tech) and Women's College World Series (Oklahoma).
He noted Oklahoma's three first-round draft picks, football's Baker Mayfield, men's basketball's Trae Young and baseball's Kyler Murray, Texas having every one of its sports qualify for postseason play, including the Longhorns' NCAA title in men's swimming and Oklahoma State's continued success in men's golf by winning another national championship, besting three other Big 12 teams among college golf's final eight teams.
He mentioned the continuing series of forums the league has sponsored since the beginning of his tenure, the most recent one this year covering ESports. Prior forums covered such topics as gender in athletics, race, student-athlete rights, privileges and prerogatives and NCAA rules adherence.
The commissioner also discussed the league's continuing relationship with Extra Yard for Teachers, an initiative aimed at supporting the teaching profession.
"We armed 75 of our student-athletes with the opportunity to make a $1,000 grant to a teacher that they had identified, and in conjunction with the women's basketball tournament, we also recognized 30 teachers in the Oklahoma City area with $1,000 grants under a program called 'My Teacher My Hero,'" he said.
Bowslby said the conference also recently did a partnered technology overhaul of a classroom at St. Phillips Academy here in Dallas.
"We have a crisis in the teaching profession," Bowlsby pointed out. "By 2022, we need another 100,000 qualified teachers in this country. We have lots of work to do."
Bowlsby mentioned that ticket sales for this year's Big 12 Football Championship Game at AT&T Stadium to be played on Saturday, Dec. 1, will go on sale this Friday, July 20.
"The game will be on ESPN, and we will be at AT&T for the next four years, including this one," he said.
However, it's anyone's guess as to which two teams are going to end up playing in this year's championship game.
Oklahoma was again the preseason pick to win the Big 12 this year, but West Virginia, TCU, Texas and Kansas State also received first-place votes.
The Sooners are coming off a College Football Playoff appearance in coach Lincoln Riley's first season after taking over for Bob Stoops, but OU must find replacements for Heisman Trophy winner Mayfield and Mackey Award winner Mark Andrews. And for the first time since 1999, OU didn't get a single defensive player named to this year's All-Big 12 preseason team.
West Virginia is armed with plenty of offensive firepower, including the league's most established returning quarterback in preseason offensive player of the year Will Grier, but there are many questions surrounding a Mountaineer defense that surrendered 31.5 points per game in 2017.
Texas' second-year coach Tom Herman has 13 returning starters and lots of experience returning on both sides of the ball, but he must settle on a starting quarterback and must also get more production out of a running game that failed to produce a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time in 11 years.
TCU must find a replacement for departed quarterback Kenny Hill on offense and come up with eight new starters on a defense that last year allowed just 104 yards per game on the ground. However, one of those three returning starters is defensive end Ben Banogu, voted preseason defensive player of the year.
K-State, which came on strong following its 28-23 loss to West Virginia to upset Oklahoma State, Iowa State and then defeat UCLA in last year's Cactus Bowl to finish 8-5, looks to be sitting in the weeds once again waiting to ambush people in Bill Snyder's 27thseason in Manhattan.
Oklahoma State, despite significant losses on the offensive side of the ball, will have a say in things as will Iowa State, undergoing a revival under third-year coach Matt Campbell. Texas Tech upset Texas to reach last year's Birmingham Bowl and will field its best defense since offensive-minded Kliff Kingsbury took over in 2013.
Baylor and Kansas, boasting the most returning players in the league, also look to be much improved, which should make for some unpredictable Saturdays leading up to Dec. 1.
"We think the Big 12 path to the end of the season is not only the most challenging, but the highest quality," Bowlsby admitted. "The fact that everybody plays everybody and the fact that we guarantee one versus two in the championship game is unlike the way any other conference conducts their business.
"Nobody is going to win the Big 12 by who they don't play," he added. "It's a difficult path, but I think it's one that will serve us well."
Day One Media Day Tidbits:
* Bowlsby mentioned a couple of significant departures from his senior management team. Senior associate Commissioners John Underwood and Dru Hancock have retired but will stay involved with the conference in a consultative capacity, while popular, longtime Big 12 coordinator of officials Walt Anderson has chosen to give up that role to continue refereeing NFL games on a full-time basis.
Anderson's yearly media presentations at Big 12 media day were always informative and entertaining. The Big 12's new coordinator of officials, Greg Burks, will handle this year's presentation on Tuesday morning.
* According to Bowlsby, 37 percent of the Big 12's non-conference games this year will be against other Power 5 programs. Notable matchups include West Virginia vs. Tennessee and Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss on Sept. 1, Oklahoma vs. UCLA, Kansas State vs. Mississippi State and Iowa State vs. Iowa on Sept. 8, and Texas vs. USC and TCU vs. Ohio State on Sept. 15.
Oklahoma State is the only Big 12 team not playing an out-of-conference Power 5 foe, the Cowboys' three non-league games coming against Missouri State, South Alabama and Boise State.
West Virginia (Tennessee and NC State) and Texas (Maryland and USC) are the only Big 12 teams facing two Power 5 opponents outside of conference play.
"We will have the No. 1 non-conference schedule in the country," Bowlsby stated.
* The Big 12 is aligned with seven bowls this year, not including the College Football Playoff. The league is also tied in with the Allstate Sugar, Valero Alamo, Camping World, AdvoCare V100 Texas, AutoZone Liberty, Cactus and Zaxby's Heart of Dallas bowls for 2018.
"We've got seven guaranteed bowl positions this year, and I'm grateful that many of our bowl partners are here today," Bowlsby said. "So in short, we have much to be thankful for. We also have much to look forward to.
"I think every Saturday in the fall is going to be a real adventure."
* Following Oklahoma's great success in 2017, a couple dozen NFL teams came to Norman during the offseason to visit with OU coach Lincoln Riley.
"We had a lot of players that were obviously on the NFL radar that people were studying," he said. "I think the NFL has come closer to what the college game is, at least offensively, so I think there are more things that you can discuss back and forth that are relevant for both sides."
* TCU coach Gary Patterson is always worth a good quote or two and this year was no exception. He was asked about his ability to take two- and three-star players and turn them into college standouts and top NFL prospects, particularly on the defensive side of the football.
"Number one, that rating is your rating," he said. "That's not my rating. If I'm bringing them in, I think they're a pretty good player so they may be a four or a five star; obviously we're getting more of those guys. I have always believed it's not where you start but where you finish, so you recruit whoever you want to recruit; you recruit who fits your program.
"It doesn't do you any good to have a good athlete that fits a square peg into a round hole," he admitted. The guy has to fit that position or he needs to be good enough that you will create a new position within your defense and offense so he can be successful and he will make you better. I think that's one of the things we've always done."
Patterson also handicapped this year's conference race.
"West Virginia and a couple other teams in our league have returning quarterbacks and you have to give them the advantage because I think older quarterbacks help you," he explained, adding that the parity this year means it could come down to the program that did the best job "growing up their football team" since last January.
* Texas Tech's Kingsbury also singled out Grier as a potential wild card in this year's conference race.
"I think if you look at the history of the teams that have won the Big 12 Championship recently, they've had really, really good quarterback play so somebody is going to have to step up and get it done," he said.
"Will Grier at West Virginia is kind of the name coming back who has done a tremendous job there, but I'm sure there will be young players that step up and have great campaigns."
* TCU, Kansas, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Oklahoma were represented today. Tomorrow's program features the remaining five Big 12 teams - West Virginia, Texas, Baylor, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
Players representing WVU this year are Grier, linebacker David Long Jr., wide receiver David Sills V, safety Dravon Askew-Henry and offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste.
Bowlsby lifted the lid on this year's two-day event with his yearly update on league happenings - all of which were positive.
He pointed out the Big 12 was the only conference in the country to have teams in last year's College Football Playoff (Oklahoma), men's Final Four (Kansas), College World Series (Texas and Texas Tech) and Women's College World Series (Oklahoma).
He noted Oklahoma's three first-round draft picks, football's Baker Mayfield, men's basketball's Trae Young and baseball's Kyler Murray, Texas having every one of its sports qualify for postseason play, including the Longhorns' NCAA title in men's swimming and Oklahoma State's continued success in men's golf by winning another national championship, besting three other Big 12 teams among college golf's final eight teams.
He mentioned the continuing series of forums the league has sponsored since the beginning of his tenure, the most recent one this year covering ESports. Prior forums covered such topics as gender in athletics, race, student-athlete rights, privileges and prerogatives and NCAA rules adherence.
The commissioner also discussed the league's continuing relationship with Extra Yard for Teachers, an initiative aimed at supporting the teaching profession.
"We armed 75 of our student-athletes with the opportunity to make a $1,000 grant to a teacher that they had identified, and in conjunction with the women's basketball tournament, we also recognized 30 teachers in the Oklahoma City area with $1,000 grants under a program called 'My Teacher My Hero,'" he said.
Bowslby said the conference also recently did a partnered technology overhaul of a classroom at St. Phillips Academy here in Dallas.
"We have a crisis in the teaching profession," Bowlsby pointed out. "By 2022, we need another 100,000 qualified teachers in this country. We have lots of work to do."
Bowlsby mentioned that ticket sales for this year's Big 12 Football Championship Game at AT&T Stadium to be played on Saturday, Dec. 1, will go on sale this Friday, July 20.
"The game will be on ESPN, and we will be at AT&T for the next four years, including this one," he said.
However, it's anyone's guess as to which two teams are going to end up playing in this year's championship game.
Oklahoma was again the preseason pick to win the Big 12 this year, but West Virginia, TCU, Texas and Kansas State also received first-place votes.
The Sooners are coming off a College Football Playoff appearance in coach Lincoln Riley's first season after taking over for Bob Stoops, but OU must find replacements for Heisman Trophy winner Mayfield and Mackey Award winner Mark Andrews. And for the first time since 1999, OU didn't get a single defensive player named to this year's All-Big 12 preseason team.
West Virginia is armed with plenty of offensive firepower, including the league's most established returning quarterback in preseason offensive player of the year Will Grier, but there are many questions surrounding a Mountaineer defense that surrendered 31.5 points per game in 2017.
Texas' second-year coach Tom Herman has 13 returning starters and lots of experience returning on both sides of the ball, but he must settle on a starting quarterback and must also get more production out of a running game that failed to produce a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time in 11 years.
TCU must find a replacement for departed quarterback Kenny Hill on offense and come up with eight new starters on a defense that last year allowed just 104 yards per game on the ground. However, one of those three returning starters is defensive end Ben Banogu, voted preseason defensive player of the year.
K-State, which came on strong following its 28-23 loss to West Virginia to upset Oklahoma State, Iowa State and then defeat UCLA in last year's Cactus Bowl to finish 8-5, looks to be sitting in the weeds once again waiting to ambush people in Bill Snyder's 27thseason in Manhattan.
Oklahoma State, despite significant losses on the offensive side of the ball, will have a say in things as will Iowa State, undergoing a revival under third-year coach Matt Campbell. Texas Tech upset Texas to reach last year's Birmingham Bowl and will field its best defense since offensive-minded Kliff Kingsbury took over in 2013.
Baylor and Kansas, boasting the most returning players in the league, also look to be much improved, which should make for some unpredictable Saturdays leading up to Dec. 1.
"We think the Big 12 path to the end of the season is not only the most challenging, but the highest quality," Bowlsby admitted. "The fact that everybody plays everybody and the fact that we guarantee one versus two in the championship game is unlike the way any other conference conducts their business.
"Nobody is going to win the Big 12 by who they don't play," he added. "It's a difficult path, but I think it's one that will serve us well."
Day One Media Day Tidbits:
* Bowlsby mentioned a couple of significant departures from his senior management team. Senior associate Commissioners John Underwood and Dru Hancock have retired but will stay involved with the conference in a consultative capacity, while popular, longtime Big 12 coordinator of officials Walt Anderson has chosen to give up that role to continue refereeing NFL games on a full-time basis.
Anderson's yearly media presentations at Big 12 media day were always informative and entertaining. The Big 12's new coordinator of officials, Greg Burks, will handle this year's presentation on Tuesday morning.
* According to Bowlsby, 37 percent of the Big 12's non-conference games this year will be against other Power 5 programs. Notable matchups include West Virginia vs. Tennessee and Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss on Sept. 1, Oklahoma vs. UCLA, Kansas State vs. Mississippi State and Iowa State vs. Iowa on Sept. 8, and Texas vs. USC and TCU vs. Ohio State on Sept. 15.
Oklahoma State is the only Big 12 team not playing an out-of-conference Power 5 foe, the Cowboys' three non-league games coming against Missouri State, South Alabama and Boise State.
West Virginia (Tennessee and NC State) and Texas (Maryland and USC) are the only Big 12 teams facing two Power 5 opponents outside of conference play.
"We will have the No. 1 non-conference schedule in the country," Bowlsby stated.
* The Big 12 is aligned with seven bowls this year, not including the College Football Playoff. The league is also tied in with the Allstate Sugar, Valero Alamo, Camping World, AdvoCare V100 Texas, AutoZone Liberty, Cactus and Zaxby's Heart of Dallas bowls for 2018.
"We've got seven guaranteed bowl positions this year, and I'm grateful that many of our bowl partners are here today," Bowlsby said. "So in short, we have much to be thankful for. We also have much to look forward to.
"I think every Saturday in the fall is going to be a real adventure."
* Following Oklahoma's great success in 2017, a couple dozen NFL teams came to Norman during the offseason to visit with OU coach Lincoln Riley.
"We had a lot of players that were obviously on the NFL radar that people were studying," he said. "I think the NFL has come closer to what the college game is, at least offensively, so I think there are more things that you can discuss back and forth that are relevant for both sides."
* TCU coach Gary Patterson is always worth a good quote or two and this year was no exception. He was asked about his ability to take two- and three-star players and turn them into college standouts and top NFL prospects, particularly on the defensive side of the football.
"Number one, that rating is your rating," he said. "That's not my rating. If I'm bringing them in, I think they're a pretty good player so they may be a four or a five star; obviously we're getting more of those guys. I have always believed it's not where you start but where you finish, so you recruit whoever you want to recruit; you recruit who fits your program.
"It doesn't do you any good to have a good athlete that fits a square peg into a round hole," he admitted. The guy has to fit that position or he needs to be good enough that you will create a new position within your defense and offense so he can be successful and he will make you better. I think that's one of the things we've always done."
Patterson also handicapped this year's conference race.
"West Virginia and a couple other teams in our league have returning quarterbacks and you have to give them the advantage because I think older quarterbacks help you," he explained, adding that the parity this year means it could come down to the program that did the best job "growing up their football team" since last January.
* Texas Tech's Kingsbury also singled out Grier as a potential wild card in this year's conference race.
"I think if you look at the history of the teams that have won the Big 12 Championship recently, they've had really, really good quarterback play so somebody is going to have to step up and get it done," he said.
"Will Grier at West Virginia is kind of the name coming back who has done a tremendous job there, but I'm sure there will be young players that step up and have great campaigns."
* TCU, Kansas, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Oklahoma were represented today. Tomorrow's program features the remaining five Big 12 teams - West Virginia, Texas, Baylor, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
Players representing WVU this year are Grier, linebacker David Long Jr., wide receiver David Sills V, safety Dravon Askew-Henry and offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste.
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, December 03
Reid Carrico | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
Jeff Weimer | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
Rich Rodriguez | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
