Playing for Coach Prime

Today, the anonymous player survey addresses the most polarizing subject in the entire conference: Coach Prime. The quotes about playing for Prime are the most revealing of any that I received during the survey, so make sure to check them out below.

It was fascinating to see ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips’ response this week to Brett Yormark’s emphatic claim that the Big 12 is the third-best conference in college sports. Honestly, to answer my own question from the last newsletter, it felt like Phillips was a bit rattled. Yormark can do that to you – just ask George Kliavkoff (though he won’t publicly admit it). 

What You Need to Know

• Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark’s comment two weeks ago about the league solidifying itself as one of the top three conferences in America clearly bothered ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. Phillips fired back this week at ACC Media Days by saying the ACC is a top-three conference “by any metric of significance.” 

• The Big 12 wants to be a disruptor in the college sports world, according to Big 12 Chief Marketing Officer Tyrel Kirkham, who is Brett Yormark’s right-hand man. I asked the CMO about leveraging the strength of Big 12 basketball, selling the league’s naming rights, and much more at Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas. 

• BetMGM Sportsbook released odds on who will win the Big 12 this year. K-State and Utah are the co-favorites to be Big 12 champions, with Oklahoma State, Kansas, and UCF rounding out the top five. 

• The New York Post picked K-State quarterback Avery Johnson to win the Heisman Trophy. He currently has 28/1 odds to win the award at Ceaser’s Sportsbook.

Enjoying Open For Business? It would mean the world to me if you could share the newsletter with three of your friends who want Big 12 news without SEC or Big Ten bias. Tell them to sign up at OFBNews.com and get started today!

Big 12 Player Survey: Coach Prime

We’ve reached the most polarizing part of the anonymous player survey: Coach Prime. I asked players if they would want to play for Coach Prime in Boulder, and boy, did we get some quotes. 

The consensus is…

No! Seven of the 15 players surveyed said they wouldn’t want to play for Coach Prime.

No – 7
Yes – 4
Not Sure – 4

What they said:

“Nah, I wouldn’t. He brings too much attention to non-football stuff, and I want to just get straight to business.”

“Nope. Nope. I’m good on that. I’ve heard what it’s like over there. I’m good on that.”

“I’d probably play for Deion, man. How you can not? He gives guys an opportunity. Like he said, he plays a lot of freshmen. He’s looking at the bigger picture, man. He’s gonna be a great coach, and they’re eventually going to be a great program.”

“I can’t really answer that question. I don’t really know him personally. For me, I have to get to know you on a personal level before I can say I want to play for you. I want to play for someone with similar values.” 

“No. Absolutely not. No offense, but no.”

“I wouldn’t want to play for him. I definitely respect his swag that he brings to the game. I just wouldn’t like to have all that media attention sometimes. I want to focus on ball.”

“I was recruited by Coach Prime. Great dude. I just don’t think I could see myself in Colorado. Up there in the elevation?”

“Based off of him being a legend in the game of football, being able to learn different gems and little things from him would probably be amazing.”

“I don’t know. We have a couple of players that have transferred from Colorado. I think I’d have to experience it. It’s kind of hard because all I’ve heard is hearsay from everybody else.”

“I think he’s a little different when the cameras are on versus when the cameras are off. All you see is what they want to put on social media and TikTok.”

Prefer Big 12 news in video form? Subscribe to my YouTube Channel and join the hundreds of Big 12 fans who watch live on Wednesday and Sunday nights. The channel has 20,000+ subscribers and counting from all across the college football world. Don’t miss out!