Open For Business: a Big 12 Podcast w/ John Kurtz

Can Houston break through and become a College Football Playoff contender in 2026?

Willie Fritz believes the Cougars finally have the experience, depth and continuity needed to take a major step forward in the Big 12. Houston returns productive players on both sides of the ball, all three coordinators and a quarterback in Conner Weigman who is finally healthy and operating in the same offensive system for a second straight season.

John Kurtz sits down with Fritz to discuss why Houston could be one of the Big 12’s surprise teams, how the Cougars upgraded the offensive line through the transfer portal and why the offense now has quality depth at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end.

Fritz also talks about Houston’s two former five-star quarterbacks, Keisean Henderson’s rapid development, Amari Thomas’ NFL potential and why this roster is starting to look like the team he envisioned when he took the job.

Could Houston make a run at the Big 12 Championship and crash the College Football Playoff?

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#HoustonFootball #HoustonCougars #WillieFritz #Big12 #CollegeFootballPlayoff #ConnerWeigman #CollegeFootball

**Plan your trip to Provo for a BYU game: https://www.utahvalley.com/

**Book your stay at Sundance Resort: https://www.sundanceresort.com/

**See what a Provo trip is really like: https://youtu.be/G9nzKwgbG_4

Arizona football is rising fast under Brent Brennan.

After a major breakthrough season, Brennan explains what changed inside the Wildcats’ program, why simplifying the message helped everything click and how Arizona created stronger alignment between its coaches and players.

John Kurtz sits down with Brennan to discuss the rise of Arizona football, Noah Fifita’s loyalty to the program and why the star quarterback chose legacy over chasing money in the transfer portal. Brennan also explains why he believes Fifita is one of the best stories in college football.

The conversation also covers Brennan’s lessons from Phil Jackson, Arizona’s approach to building through the transfer portal, replacing an NFL-caliber defensive backfield and the biggest factor that will determine whether the Wildcats can take another step in the Big 12.

Can Arizona football build on its breakthrough and become a consistent Big 12 contender?

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#ArizonaFootball #ArizonaWildcats #BrentBrennan #NoahFifita #Big12 #CollegeFootball #TransferPortal

Kalani Sitake is opening up about why he chose to stay at BYU.

After drawing interest from other major programs, including Penn State, Sitake wanted to know whether BYU was truly committed to making football a priority in the Big 12. His answer came through increased resources, better support for players, more opportunities to retain his coaching staff and a long-term commitment from the university.

John Kurtz sits down with Sitake to discuss what BYU had to prove, why he did not want the Cougars to simply be “invited to the party” and how the program is now positioning itself to become a lasting Big 12 contender.

Sitake also talks about BYU’s roster retention, Bear Bachmeier’s development, the transition from Jay Hill to Kelly Poppinga, the importance of the Notre Dame game and why the Cougars believe they have the pieces to compete for a Big 12 championship.

Did BYU finally go all-in on football?

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#BYU #BYUFootball #KalaniSitake #Big12 #CollegeFootball #PennState #NotreDame

**Plan your trip to Provo for a BYU game: https://www.utahvalley.com/

**Book your stay at Sundance Resort: https://www.sundanceresort.com/

**See what a Provo trip is really like: https://youtu.be/G9nzKwgbG_4

How far behind is Iowa State in the NIL race, and can the Cyclones still compete near the top of the Big 12?

Chris Williams of Cyclone Fanatic and Iowa Everywhere gives an honest assessment of Iowa State’s financial position in modern college athletics. He explains why the Cyclones are in a much better place than they were one year ago, but still likely remain below the middle of the Big 12 in football resources.

The conversation also covers the optimism surrounding Iowa State’s new president, whether Jamie Pollard was slow to adjust to the NIL era and why the Cyclones’ passionate fan base gives the program a chance to close the financial gap.

John Kurtz and Chris also discuss Jimmy Rogers replacing Matt Campbell, the strategy behind Iowa State’s roster turnover, realistic expectations for the Cyclones and why Rogers inherited a much better situation than Campbell did.

Plus, they examine Jamie Pollard’s renewed energy, why T.J. Otzelberger continues to choose Iowa State, the financial decisions involving Milan Momcilovic and Audi Crooks, and whether Iowa State is actually better off competing in the Big 12 than becoming an afterthought in a richer conference.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The truth about Iowa State’s NIL situation
00:17 Has Iowa State stabilized under Jimmy Rogers?
01:21 The strategy behind Iowa State’s roster turnover
01:50 Can Iowa State make a bowl game?
02:18 Resetting expectations after Matt Campbell
02:47 What Iowa State could have been with Campbell
03:44 Did Iowa State announce Jimmy Rogers too quickly?
05:13 How Jamie Pollard found Iowa State’s next coach
05:42 Jimmy Rogers always wanted the Iowa State job
07:09 Iowa State’s trip to BYU and Provo
08:56 How far behind is Iowa State in NIL?
09:54 Why Iowa State’s fan base provides hope
10:23 Iowa State’s new president could change things
11:21 Jamie Pollard’s future and CyTown
12:20 Jamie Pollard has his edge back
13:46 Why T.J. Otzelberger stayed at Iowa State
15:15 Can Otzelberger take Iowa State to a Final Four?
16:45 Iowa State basketball’s NIL position
17:14 The Milan Momcilovic financial decision
18:12 Audi Crooks and the cost of retaining stars
18:41 Is Iowa State better off in the Big 12?
19:36 Why the Big 12 is not going away
20:26 Big 12 stability compared to the ACC
21:22 Can Jimmy Rogers maintain Campbell’s standard?
22:52 Why coaches may choose fit over bigger jobs
23:20 Jimmy Rogers inherited a better situation than Campbell

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#IowaState #Cyclones #IowaStateFootball #Big12 #NIL #JimmyRogers #JamiePollard

Could Farmageddon be coming back as an annual Big 12 rivalry?

Big 12 chief football and competition officer Scott Draper says the conference has already started evaluating its next scheduling cycle, including which rivalry games need to be played every year. That could open the door for Kansas State and Iowa State to resume their historic annual series after Farmageddon is interrupted under the current Big 12 scheduling matrix.

John Kurtz asks Draper directly about the future of K-State–Iowa State, protected rivalries and whether the Big 12 could restore more traditional late-season matchups. They also discuss the possibility of moving the Holy War between BYU and Utah back to rivalry weekend.

The interview covers several other major Big 12 topics, including a potential 10-game conference schedule, the league’s push for a 14-team College Football Playoff, why BYU was undervalued by the playoff committee and how five Big 12 teams could have benefited from an expanded CFP field.

Draper also explains how the Big 12 helped make BYU–Notre Dame happen, why the conference values major nonconference games, the strategy behind Friday-night television windows and the possibility of more Big 12 games in London, Ireland and other international locations.

Could the Big 12 fix its Farmageddon scheduling mistake and restore Kansas State–Iowa State as an annual rivalry?

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#Big12 #Farmageddon #KansasState #IowaState #KStateFootball #IowaStateFootball #CollegeFootball