First and 16 Podcast - Big 12 College Football and College Basketball

Did ESPN's Football Power Index just hand the SEC a massive head start in the 2026 College Football Playoff race? In this episode of First and 16, Adam Gibby breaks down the latest ESPN FPI rankings and explains why the SEC landed 12 teams in the Top 25 while the Big 12 received just two. Are these rankings truly data-driven, or are they creating narratives that benefit ESPN's biggest television p...

The 2026 Big 12 Media Days delivered no shortage of headlines. In this episode of First and 16, Adam Gibby breaks down everything that happened in Frisco, Texas, including Commissioner Brett Yormark addressing College Football Playoff expansion, the conference's international growth plans, the fallout from Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby's gambling-related departure, BYU's preseason expectat...

NIL has officially been around for five years which feels like just yesterday, while also feeling like an eternity ago. The NCAA and College Sports have changed forever and every team and player in the Big 12 Conference has been affected. This episode goes into what led to NIL, where it went wrong, and how it is doing well.  I also shoutout BYU for a great visit. 

The rumors are once again starting to pick up between the Big 10 and Utah, but will the Utes be leaving the Big 12 anytime soon? In this episode I break down three scenarios why they won't be laving, as well as one why they may leave. 

The NBA Draft was a very good couple of night for the Big 12 conference as they led the nation in the number of picks. The conference also broke their previous record of 12 picks overall from 2022, suggesting that despite revenue disparity with the SEC and Big 10, the Big 12 is still on top.    In the episode we also go over the NCAA eligibility rule allowing players to play five seasons over a fi...

The NBA Draft is tonight, and while we don't know a lot, we know two things: AJ Dybansta and Darryn Peterson will be the two top overall picks, and the Big 12 will dominate in pick selections.    This episode will also go into my prediction for who will be first selected and why, as well as how the Big 12 could get four Top 10 picks. 

The biggest story in college football isn't coming from the SEC or Big Ten—it's happening in the Big 12. In this episode of First and 16, Adam Gibby breaks down the escalating legal battle between Texas Tech and the Big 12 over the Brendan Sorsby eligibility controversy. What started as a gambling suspension case has evolved into a much larger fight over NCAA authority, injunctions, conference pow...

Is it finally time for a way-too-early Top 25? On this episode of First and 16, Adam Gibby builds his own preseason college football Top 25 from scratch—and it's nothing like the polls you'll see from ESPN, CBS, or the AP voters. From Indiana claiming the No. 1 spot to BYU cracking the Top 10 and Texas Tech landing inside the Top 10 as well, these rankings challenge the conventional wisdom surroun...

The Brendan Sorsby controversy continues to send shockwaves through college football. After receiving an injunction that allows him to remain eligible while his NCAA case plays out, reports suggest some programs may be reconsidering future matchups with Texas Tech. If schools begin refusing to play the Red Raiders, the fallout could reshape not only the Big 12, but the entire future of NCAA govern...

The NCAA has spent years losing power through NIL lawsuits, transfer portal battles, antitrust rulings, and challenges from state governments. But the latest ruling involving Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Storesby may be the clearest sign yet that NCAA enforcement is effectively dead. After a Texas judge granted an injunction allowing Storesby to remain eligible despite NCAA penalties related to...

Has college football realignment gone too far? On this episode of First & 16 , Adam Gibby breaks down Nick Saban's recent comments advocating for a return to regional conferences and explains why college football may be headed toward a major restructuring. After years of conference expansion that stretched leagues from coast to coast, many are questioning whether the current model is financially s...

In this episode of First and 16 , Adam Gibby breaks down his complete 2026 Big 12 Football Power Rankings , ranking all 16 teams from top to bottom based on a neutral-field, round-robin format where every team plays every other team. Before diving into football, Adam discusses one of the biggest surprises of the spring sports season: why college baseball and softball have become home to the Cinder...

The 2026 college football TV schedule is officially here, and the Big 12 is getting more national attention than ever before. In this episode of First and 16 , Adam Gibby breaks down every major Big 12 matchup from Weeks 1-3, including huge games like Baylor vs Auburn, Arizona at BYU, Utah vs Arkansas, Texas Tech vs Oregon State, Kansas vs Missouri, and Oregon vs Oklahoma State. Which programs got...

Is a 24-team College Football Playoff actually coming? On this episode of First and 16, Adam Gibby breaks down why momentum is growing behind CFP expansion — and why ESPN and the SEC may be fighting against it behind the scenes. From television rights and scheduling conflicts to conference power dynamics and playoff access, this episode dives deep into the real reasons college football's biggest p...

On this episode of First and 16 , we react to the viral comments from Steve Sarkisian after he claimed Texas could potentially go undefeated in the Big 12 with its backups. Is that confidence… or straight-up SEC arrogance? We break down what Sark really meant, why Big 12 fans are furious, and whether he's completely underestimating the conference. We also dive into the complicated Brendan Sorsby c...

On this episode of First & 16 , we break down one of the hottest debates in college football right now: the proposed 24-team College Football Playoff—and why Paul Finebaum might be completely off base. Finebaum recently shared his thoughts on expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, and let's just say… we've got some strong reactions. Is a 24-team playoff actually good for the sport, or...

In this episode of First & 16 , we break down the growing tension between ESPN, the SEC, and the future of the College Football Playoff. Why are ESPN and the SEC reportedly pushing back against a 24-team playoff format? Is it about money, television control, conference power, scheduling, or preserving the value of the regular season? We dive into the politics behind college football expansion, the...

This episode of First & 16 takes a deep dive into why expanding the NCAA Tournament to 76 teams could completely water down college basketball's biggest event. What made March Madness special was exclusivity, urgency, and the idea that every regular season game mattered. But now? The tournament risks turning into participation trophy basketball. We break down how expansion hurts bubble drama, rewa...

On this episode of First and 16 , we break down why college football should move to a 24-team playoff format. From Cinderella runs to powerhouse rematches, we look at the incredible matchups fans were robbed of last season and how an expanded playoff would make every week matter even more. We dive into seeding, home playoff games, Group of Five opportunities, and the chaos a true postseason bracke...

The future of college football may finally have its answer. In this episode of First and 16 , we break down why the AFCA's proposed 24-team College Football Playoff is exactly what the sport needs. From fixing conference imbalance and giving Group of Five programs a real path to compete, to protecting rivalries and making the regular season matter even more, this format could completely reshape th...

In this episode of First and 16 , we dive headfirst into the newly released preseason spring rankings and unpack the growing narrative working against the Big 12. Are these rankings based on real analysis—or recycled bias? We break down where Big 12 teams are being undervalued, which programs are flying under the radar, and how early media perception could shape the entire 2026 college football se...

The Big 12 just made one of the most aggressive financial moves in college sports history—and it's not what you think. On this episode of First and 16 , we break down the conference's newly approved partnership with RedBird Capital and what it really means for the future of college athletics. While it's being labeled a "private equity" move, the details tell a much more strategic story: no ownersh...

On this episode of First and 16 , we break down the Brendan Sorsby gambling scandal and the potential fallout for the Big 12, Texas Tech, and college football as a whole. What does this controversy reveal about compliance, player accountability, and the growing tension between gambling, NIL, and college athletics? We examine what this could mean for conference integrity, whether Texas Tech faces b...

On this episode of First and 16 , we tackle one of the biggest structural questions in college sports: why it may be time for the Group of Five and Power Four to officially split. From revenue gaps and playoff access to scheduling inequities and governance chaos, we break down why the current model may no longer be sustainable. Plus, we react to the shocking decision by the Arkansas Razorbacks to...

This episode of First and 16 dives into the growing buzz around a potential 24-team College Football Playoff—this time with pressure and influence coming from the government side of things. What would expansion mean for the sport, the players, and the power structure of college athletics? Then, we pivot to college basketball, where the transfer portal has turned into pure chaos. With players movin...