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

John Kurtz
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Open for Business with John Kurtz delivers college football and college basketball news from a Big 12 perspective. We cover every Big 12 school—Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, and West Virginia. From Saturdays in the fall to March Madness, no program gets left out. You’ll hear in-depth discussion on Big 12 football, basketball, and recruiting—along with how the league stacks up against the SEC and Big Ten. We cover conference realignment, NIL, TV deals, playoff battles, and national storylines like Deion Sanders and Colorado that impact the Big 12. If you want college football and college basketball news from a Big 12 perspective, this is your podcast.

  1. 1D AGO

    Big 12 Money Crisis: A Big 12 Power Says It's Broke; K-State is Bleeding Cash

    Big 12 basketball has a money problem, and Kelvin Sampson just said the quiet part out loud. After Houston’s win, the Hall of Fame coach admitted the Cougars are broke, raising a bigger question for the conference: if one of the Big 12’s best programs is struggling for resources, what does that mean for competing in the new era of college sports? In this live show, I break down Sampson’s comments, why Houston’s timing is so surprising (elite hoops, rising football, huge recruiting footprint), and whether a lack of donor support could ever put coaches like Kelvin Sampson or Willie Fritz at risk. Then we pivot to the other side of the Big 12 money story: K-State spending. Kansas State is pouring an eye-popping amount into basketball between Jerome Tang’s contract, assistant coach salaries, and roster spending, yet they’re sitting at the bottom of the league. I’ll walk through the numbers, the context, and what it says about how programs can waste money even when they have it. Plus: BYU’s three-game skid, what’s actually wrong defensively, and why the next stretch with Houston looming will tell us what BYU really is. We also get into the latest anti-Mormon chant controversy, what Oklahoma State fans claim was said, and what the Big 12 can realistically do to stop this from becoming a recurring distraction. Subscribe for Big 12 college football and Big 12 basketball coverage with the context the national shows miss. Get ‘Open For Business’ a Big 12 newsletter sending the key headlines, interviews, and my analysis straight to your inbox. No more college football news through an SEC/Big Ten lens. If you're a Big 12 fan (or just curious), sign up below! www.ofbnews.com Check out my national college football channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OFBcollegefootball #Big12 #Big12Basketball #HoustonCougars #KelvinSampson #KansasState #JeromeTang #BYU #CollegeBasketball 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6321527093067776

    1h 2m

  2. 5D AGO

    Jerome Tang Makes K-State Crisis Even Messier; Is BYU in Trouble After KU Loss?

    Kansas hoops chaos, BYU’s reality check, and the Jerome Tang situation just got uglier. In this live show, I break down the Darryn Peterson conundrum after KU vs BYU. He looked like the best player in the country…then barely played in the second half again. Can Kansas actually win a national title if Peterson can’t gut out full games? Plus, Richie Saunders may have just changed his career in one night, and BYU’s back-to-back losses raise a real question: are the Cougars in trouble, or just settling into their real ceiling? Then we get into K-State’s free fall. After another brutal week, Jerome Tang’s press conferences are pouring gasoline on the fire. When you’re 10-12, 1-8 in the Big 12, and you’ve got a roster that cost what it cost, the margin for excuses is basically zero. Topics covered in this video: Kansas basketball: Darryn Peterson, Bill Self, and KU’s national title chances KU vs BYU: AJ Dybantsa vs Peterson, Richie Saunders eruption, Kevin Young’s comments BYU basketball: what the last two games say about Big 12 title hopes vs NCAA tournament upside K-State basketball: Jerome Tang backlash, West Virginia collapse, Iowa State blowout, what happens next Big 12 basketball context: where KU, BYU, and K-State actually fit right now Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:05 Darryn Peterson vs AJ Dybantsa in Allen Fieldhouse 6:45 Can Kansas win a national title with Peterson’s minutes/health? 12:40 Richie Saunders was unreal (and what it means for BYU) 18:05 Is BYU in trouble after back-to-back losses? 24:30 Jerome Tang is making K-State worse 33:40 Where K-State goes from here Subscribe for Big 12 basketball and college sports analysis with the stories and angles you’re not getting nationally. Drop a comment with the biggest question you have about KU, BYU, or K-State right now. Get ‘Open For Business’ a Big 12 newsletter sending the key headlines, interviews, and my analysis straight to your inbox. No more college football news through an SEC/Big Ten lens. If you're a Big 12 fan (or just curious), sign up below! www.ofbnews.com Also check out my national college football channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OFBcollegefootball #KansasBasketball #BYUBasketball #KStateBasketball #Big12Basketball #DarrynPeterson #JeromeTang #BillSelf #AJDybantsa #RichieSaunders #CollegeBasketball 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6321527093067776

    59 min

  3. JAN 30

    ESPN Finally Puts BYU in the College Football Playoff; Big 12 Making a Huge Playoff Mistake?

    ESPN actually projected BYU and Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff, and Big 12 fans have every right to side-eye it. In this live show, I break down ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 (and what it really signals about BYU’s playoff path), why the Cougars are finally getting respect, and which SEC brands got left out. Then we pivot to the bigger fear: while everyone laughs at the SEC and Big Ten for fumbling CFP expansion, is the Big 12 making a massive playoff mistake behind the scenes? I dig into the 5+11 vs 24-team debate, the auto-bid politics, and what Brett Yormark should be pushing for if the goal is actual access, not vibes. Plus: who is the “next Indiana” in the Big 12 (ESPN picked one, and I’m with them), and the latest example of recruiting site logo bias that keeps dinging Big 12 perception. If you’re a BYU fan, a Tech fan, or just tired of college football being filtered through an SEC/Big Ten lens, this one’s for you. CHAPTERS 0:00 ESPN projects BYU in the CFP 3:10 Why ESPN kept BYU out before 7:05 ESPN’s 2026 Top 25 and Big 12 teams ranked 10:35 Texas Tech outlook: portal, offense, schedule, playoff path 16:40 BYU outlook: what ESPN got right and what they ignored 21:45 The Notre Dame game (Oct. 17) and BYU’s margin for error 26:10 The “next Indiana” is in the Big 12 29:40 Houston as a sleeper turnaround team 34:10 Oklahoma State as the next Indiana (and why) 39:30 Recruiting sites and Big 12 logo bias (stars magically rise) 45:55 Is the Big 12 making a massive CFP mistake? 52:10 5+11 vs 24 teams and why access matters 58:40 What Yormark should be pushing for next Get ‘Open For Business’ a Big 12 newsletter sending the key headlines, interviews, and my analysis straight to your inbox. No more college football news through an SEC/Big Ten lens. If you're a Big 12 fan (or just curious), sign up below! www.ofbnews.com Want my national college football channel too? Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@OFBcollegefootball Subscribe for more Big 12 football and basketball, CFP analysis, realignment talk, and straight-up narrative policing. #BYU #TexasTech #Big12 #CollegeFootballPlayoff #CFP #NIL #Recruiting #OklahomaState #CollegeFootball #BrettYormark #ESPN 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6321527093067776

    1 hr

  4. JAN 26

    Big 12 Gets a HUGE Playoff Win; But it Comes With a Catch

    College Football Playoff is staying at 12 teams… and the Big 12 just locked in a guaranteed spot for its champion. That sounds like a win, but is this really stability – or just a pause before the SEC and Big Ten try to reshape the sport on their terms? In this show, I’ll break down what the CFP stalemate actually means for the Big 12, why the 4/4/2/2 model getting blocked matters, and how long the league can count on guaranteed access before the next fight. Then we’ll pivot to a wild weekend in Big 12 hoops and why Kansas State suddenly has a serious Jerome Tang problem with no easy way out. On this episode: What the 12-team CFP format really means for the Big 12’s playoff path Why a 16-team playoff with more at-large bids could be dangerous for the league How the SEC and Big Ten power struggle is quietly helping the Big 12 (for now) Big 12 basketball going off: AJ Dybantsa’s 43, Tech–Houston, and the league’s title contenders K-State’s Jerome Tang dilemma: bad results, big NIL spend, and a massive buyout Get the Open For Business Big 12 newsletter (Big 12 news, stories, and playoff angles): https://ofbnews.com Get John Kurtz’s national college football takes on OFB College Football: https://www.youtube.com/@OFBcollegefootball 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6321527093067776

    53 min

  5. JAN 22

    Texas Tech Gets a Gift Big 12 Schedule; Finebaum Takes a SHOT at BYU; Top 5 Big 12 Games in 2026

    Texas Tech just got the friendliest playoff path in America, BYU is carrying the Big 12’s reputation into a massive showdown with Notre Dame, and Paul Finebaum somehow managed to take an unnecessary drive-by shot at BYU while disrespecting Indiana’s title run. We’re hitting all of it in this show. I break down why the new Big 12 schedule quietly sets up perfectly for Texas Tech to make another playoff push, what it means that there’s no regular-season Tech–BYU matchup, and which teams (Houston, Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma State) are most likely to step up and give this league more heavyweight games. We’ll also look at the non-con slate and why BYU–Notre Dame in Vegas is the single most important game of the Big 12 season. Then we pivot to Paul Finebaum: how his comments about Indiana exposed the SEC arrogance problem, why dragging 1984 BYU out of nowhere was so ridiculous, and what to make of his rare walk-back and semi-apology that somehow still left BYU out. If you care about the Big 12, BYU, Tech, and where this sport is really headed, this one’s for you. Get the “Open For Business” Big 12 Newsletter Want smarter Big 12 takes in your inbox so you can own the group chat? Get my free Big 12 newsletter here: https://bit.ly/OFBNews12YT 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6321527093067776

    56 min

  6. JAN 19

    Uncapped Spending is Coming to College Football; Will Tech and BYU Rule the Big 12 Forever?

    Many powerful leaders in college football want no revenue sharing cap anymore. Does that mean Tech and BYU are bound to rule the Big 12 forever moving forward? Get “Open For Business” a Big 12 newsletter sending the key headlines, interviews, and my analysis straight to your inbox. No more college football news through an SEC/Big Ten lens. If you're a Big 12 fan (or just curious), sign up below!  https://bit.ly/OFBNews12YT Get John Kurtz and Open For Business merch here: https://johnkurtzofb.myswaggymerch.com/#!/ Don’t miss college football and realignment breaking news! Subscribe to the channel https://www.youtube.com/@JohnKurtzShow Support Weekly Realignment and College Football Content Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/John-Kurtz-4 Want up-to-the-minute conference realignment and college football content? Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlkurtz 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6321527093067776

    1h 2m

  7. JAN 16

    BYU Owning the Transfer Portal; Cougars Closing the Gap on Texas Tech

    BYU is stepping up in the transfer portal in a way we haven’t seen before, and it changes the Big 12 favorites conversation. In this live show, I break down how BYU’s retention wins (Bear Bachmeier, LJ Martin, Parker Kingston and more) paired with a top-tier portal haul has the Cougars legitimately closing the gap on Texas Tech. We’ll dive into BYU’s headline additions like Cal linebacker Cade Uluave (one of the top portal LBs) and USC tight end Walker Lyons, plus the offensive line reinforcements that could be the real key if BYU wants to win at the line of scrimmage and actually chase down the Red Raiders. On3 has BYU’s transfer class ranked No. 14 nationally, and we’re talking about what that means for the Big 12 title race and the 2026 college football landscape. Then we pivot to the rivalry soap opera: Kyle Whittingham finally “gets one back” on BYU in the portal as Michigan continues ripping key pieces out of Utah’s roster, including CB Smith Snowden. We’ll talk through why BYU losing that specific battle might not matter much, and why Utah could be the side taking the bigger long-term hit in year one under Morgan Scalley. Subscribe for Big 12-first college football and basketball coverage (YouTube + podcast), and check out the Open For Business newsletter for the smartest Big 12 takes. #BYU #Big12 #TransferPortal #CollegeFootball #Utah #Michigan #TexasTech #CFP 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6321527093067776

    50 min

  8. JAN 12

    The SEC Waves the White Flag: It Lost the War; Indiana Proves the Big 12 Can Win it All

    The SEC narrative finally took a real hit, and it might actually stick this time. In this live episode of Open For Business (Big 12 Podcast), we’re talking about why the “SEC deserves special treatment” era is fading fast, what Ole Miss’ loss to Miami says about the 12-team College Football Playoff era, and why national voices are suddenly waving the white flag on the SEC hype machine. Then we pivot to the bigger takeaway for Big 12 fans: Indiana’s run should encourage every non-blue blood program. If Indiana can make a national title push in this era, the path is real for Big 12 schools too, including Texas Tech, BYU, and yes, even programs that aren’t built like traditional powers. Topics in this stream: Is the SEC’s “best league” argument officially changing? Why this playoff cycle was a tipping point for the national narrative What the CFP results say about SEC vs Big Ten vs Big 12 at the top No more SEC benefit of the doubt: what the committee can do now Indiana as proof the sport is more volatile than ever The “doable blueprint” for Big 12 teams: coaching + scouting + resources Why Arizona State’s recent rise matters more than people admit Where BYU stands right now with roster retention and portal strategy Who besides Texas Tech can realistically make the climb? If you’re sick of SEC/Big Ten-first coverage and want Big 12-first analysis with real context, you’re in the right place.

    1h 6m
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About

Open for Business with John Kurtz delivers college football and college basketball news from a Big 12 perspective. We cover every Big 12 school—Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, and West Virginia. From Saturdays in the fall to March Madness, no program gets left out. You’ll hear in-depth discussion on Big 12 football, basketball, and recruiting—along with how the league stacks up against the SEC and Big Ten. We cover conference realignment, NIL, TV deals, playoff battles, and national storylines like Deion Sanders and Colorado that impact the Big 12. If you want college football and college basketball news from a Big 12 perspective, this is your podcast.

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