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The dust hasn't even settled on the 2025 season and honestly, the Big 12 is already a completely different animal. If you’re looking for the same old storylines, you’re looking in the wrong place. We just watched Texas Tech lift its first-ever Big 12 championship trophy after deconstructing BYU 34-7 in Arlington, but that feels like ancient history now.
Why?
Because the transfer portal just ate the conference alive.
The Matt Campbell Earthquake and the Iowa State Exodus
You’ve probably heard the rumblings, but the scale of what happened in Ames is genuinely hard to wrap your head around. When Matt Campbell left Iowa State to take the Penn State job earlier this month, people expected a few departures. Nobody expected a moving van with "Happy Valley" written on the side to pick up half the roster.
On January 16, 2026, Penn State officially announced its newcomer roster. It’s basically Iowa State East. They didn't just take a few players; they took 28 players from the Big 12, and the vast majority are former Cyclones.
- Rocco Becht, the heartbeat of that Ames offense, is gone.
- Benjamin Brahmer, the massive 6-foot-7 tight end, is gone.
- Chase Sowell, the deep threat, is gone.
It’s a "crisis" according to some—even Senator Ted Cruz weighed in, calling the situation a disaster that Congress needs to look at. While that might be a bit of political theater, the reality for Iowa State fans is a cold, hard rebuild. The Big 12 conference football news cycle is currently dominated by this "raid," and it’s shifted the power balance before spring practice even starts.
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Why the 2026 Portal Rankings Are Deceiving
Most fans check the 247Sports rankings and see Oklahoma State sitting at No. 2 in the portal rankings and think, "Wow, Gundy is cooking."
He’s cooking, sure. But it’s a total kitchen renovation.
New head coach Eric Morris (who took over for the legendary Mike Gundy) brought nearly 50 newcomers to Stillwater. It’s an unprecedented roster turnover. He basically ported over the core of his North Texas squad, led by quarterback Drew Mestemaker. It’s a massive gamble. You’re betting that Group of Five chemistry can translate to a Power 4 schedule.
Then you have Texas Tech. After getting shut out 23-0 by Oregon in the Orange Bowl—a brutal way to end a historic 12-win season—Joey McGuire didn't pout. He went out and landed Brendan Sorsby, the former Cincinnati standout and the No. 1 ranked portal QB.
Tech is currently ranked No. 14 in combined recruiting (freshman + transfers). They aren't just one-hit wonders. They're built to stay.
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The Real Winners and Losers of the New Year
It hasn't been all sunshine. The Big 12 started 2026 on a "rough patch," to put it lightly.
The bowl season was a rollercoaster. Houston took down LSU in the Texas Bowl (38-35) and TCU pulled off a literal miracle against USC in the Alamo Bowl. But the New Year’s Day slate was a nightmare. Between Texas Tech’s shutout and Cincinnati getting handled by Navy 35-13, the conference’s reputation took a temporary hit.
But look at Arizona State. Kenny Dillingham is quietly assembling a monster. They’ve got a Top 10 portal class, headlined by former Colorado wideout Omarion Miller. They lost a heartbreaker to Duke in the Sun Bowl, 42-39, but that offense is going to be terrifying in 2026.
The Coaching Carousel Poached the Brain Trust
The Big 12 conference football news isn't just about the guys in helmets. The coaching drain is real.
Kyle Whittingham finally left Utah. Not for retirement, but for Michigan. He didn't go alone. He took a significant chunk of the Utah staff and several key players like JJ Buchanan and Smith Snowden.
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Losing Whittingham is a massive blow to the conference's "toughness" identity. Utah was the gold standard for defensive consistency. Now, they're looking for a new identity while their former DC, Jay Hill, also headed to Ann Arbor.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're trying to figure out where the smart money is for the upcoming season, stop looking at 2025 stats. They're irrelevant. Here is what actually matters right now:
- Watch the "Program Portals": Oklahoma State and Penn State (via Iowa State) are running a new experiment: moving entire units from one school to another. Watch if the Mestemaker-to-Hawkins connection from North Texas stays elite at Oklahoma State.
- The Texas Tech Stability: Unlike almost everyone else, the Red Raiders kept their core coaching staff. In a year of 50-man roster turnovers, continuity is the ultimate "cheat code."
- The BYU Retention: While everyone else was losing players, Kalani Sitake somehow kept most of his roster together after the title game loss. If the Big 12 is a chaotic mess of new faces, the team that already knows each other's names has a massive head start.
- West Virginia’s Quiet Overhaul: Keep an eye on the Mountaineers. They’ve flown under the radar with massive offensive line upgrades in the portal. They are built for the November grind in a way most of the "flashy" portal teams aren't.
The Big 12 has officially entered its "NFL Lite" era. Rosters are no longer built over four years; they are rented for twelve months. If you want to keep up, you have to follow the movements of the assistant coaches. They are the ones carrying the players in their pockets.
Check the final portal window closings this week—that's where the next Big 12 champion is currently being recruited.