Big 12 Media Days 2024: What to watch as Deion Sanders debuts, Utah faces big expectations in Year 1

College football’s talking season is upon us. With the 2024 season right around the corner, various Big 12 coaches and athletes are set to descend upon Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium from July 9-10 to kick off this year’s conference media days slate. The conference already released its preseason all-conference team as well as its projected order of finish. 

For a second consecutive season, a robust set of newcomers will take center stage. The Big 12 benefited from the Pac-12’s dissolution by welcoming Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado to its ranks. Preseason favorite Utah highlights the schools speaking on Tuesday, while Deion Sanders will make his much-anticipated first official appearance as a Big 12 coach to open up the proceedings on Wednesday. 

The Big 12 does have to contend with its own notable departures as this will be the first media days slate without Texas or Oklahoma since the conference’s inception. There are several schools in contention to fill the power vacuum left by those two programs, who combined to win seven of the last nine conference titles. 

Adding extra heat to the conference race — aside from the record, 120-degree temps hitting Sin City this week — is the fact that whoever emerges as the eventual winner locks down an automatic spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Suffice to say, there are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on this week as the Big 12 Media Days unfold. 

Deion makes his debut 

Colorado’s return to the Big 12 comes with much fanfare thanks to the presence of coach Deion Sanders, one of college football’s most electric — and enigmatic — personalities. He thrives in a media setting and certainly isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind, but what’s interesting about…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-12-media-days-2024-what-to-watch-as-deion-sanders-debuts-utah-faces-big-expectations-in-year-1/

Author : Will Backus

Publish date : 2024-07-08 17:38:56

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.