What’s gotten the press is Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark’s remarks regarding Texas Tech visiting Austin this upcoming Thanksgiving Day weekend, and honestly it should. Yormark was clear that he did not appreciate Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC and I am sure that the people in power at both institutions gave little regard for the teams that remained. I didn’t expect any regard from them, so I don’t know why they would expect anything different from those institutions that remained. Via Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams:

“Candidly, we were able to get Texas and Oklahoma out a year early. That was a big deal for us and I think all of you,” Yormark told a gathering of Texas Tech supporters at the Memorial Civic Center. “And coach (McGuire), I’m not going to put any pressure on you, but I’m going to be in Austin for Thanksgiving, OK? And you’d better take care of business like you did right here in Lubbock last year.”

The pearl clutching and advance warnings that the Big 12 is rigged are, if nothing else, hilarious. If you are interested Yormark’s remarks starts at the 10 minute mark or so (the key quote above is at the 15:45 mark).

And Yormark, when talking about Texas Tech’s bowl win over Mississippi, they were only referred to as “this SEC opponent”, not even deserving a mention of their name. Yormark also made it clear that he wasn’t chasing the SEC, but getting some stability and getting back into the market in 2031 to narrow the gap, getting ahead of the Pac-12, getting a bit lucky, and the Pac-12 hubris is what felled them.

And head coach Joey McGuire did not hold his tongue when he spoke either, let’s be great now.

“I know he has a plan to close the gap,” McGuire said, “but part of my job is to close it even faster. He said it: Part of my job is to make that team in burnt orange — if that’s really a color — if that team leaves, then make sure that they’re going to a conference that they can no longer compete in this conference with teams that are in this conference.”

In the Big 12 preseason media poll, Texas is picked first, Oklahoma third and Texas Tech fourth among 14 teams. The Red Raiders don’t play the Sooners this season.

“There is an opportunity to put the Red Raiders at the forefront of this conference,” McGuire said, “and I don’t want to wait ’til 2024 when it’s a new conference. It’s more important to do it in 2023 when those old two are still here so they can understand exactly who runs the Big 12.”