Deion Sanders stole the spotlight at Big 12 media days, announcing his Colorado coaches will face a curfew — not the players — for the season opener against Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Sept. 3. The Thursday night rematch of last year's 27-20 loss marks Sanders' return to the city where he began his NFL career with the Falcons. He also quipped his absence from EA Sports College Football 27 stems from insufficient payment.

Arizona coach Brent Brennan praised quarterback Noah Fifita's daily work ethic, while Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham revealed he beat running back Kyson "Sipp" Brown by 40 in the new video game. BYU's Kalani Sitake called Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire "my guy" despite losing the Big 12 title game, noting a steak dinner wins his loyalty. Baylor's Dave Aranda highlighted transfer quarterback DJ Lagway's unprecedented VR training regimen.

McGuire doubled down on scheduling Texas, demanding "spot the ball" for a Week 1 matchup and citing recruiting benefits for intra-state games against Texas A&M and SMU. West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez proposed a geographic realignment of Power 4 programs to split a massive TV package.

The offseason narrative has shifted from portal chaos to scheduling power plays. Colorado's prime-time opener sets an early tone, while Texas Tech's public pursuit of Texas forces the Longhorns' hand. If Rodriguez's geographic model gains traction, the Big 12's footprint could dictate the next realignment cycle before the first snap.