The news was buried within the news that was buried within the news, like Russian nesting dolls hand-crafted in Provo and shipped directly to all corners of the Big 12 with a warning label attached.
BYU announced Tuesday that coach Kalani Sitake had rebuffed Penn State’s overtures and agreed to what the school described as a “long-term” contract extension with the Cougars.
But that wasn’t all.
The deal will pay Sitake approximately $9 million annually, per the website On3, making him the highest-paid coach in the Big 12 — even more than a certain somebody in Boulder — based on the salary data for 2025 published by USA Today.
And there was more.
According to On3, the agreement reportedly includes a commitment from BYU to plow $10 million to $15 million into its NIL operations — cash that will supplement revenue sharing and provide Sitake with the funding necessary to sign elite talent and keep the Cougars on the national stage.
Talk about a contract for the new world order.
The all-in commitment to Sitake adds to the mountainous evidence that BYU relishes its success in football and men’s basketball — the Cougars reached the Sweet 16 last spring — and plans to do whatever is required to continue thriving.
“(Sitake’s) legacy of building a championship program the BYU way will continue on,” athletic director Brian Santiago said while announcing the contract extension. “He is one of the best people in the business. We are excited to continue to ride the wave of positive momentum with him.”
That should make the rest of the Big 12 nervous.
Okay, maybe not every school in the Big 12. The folks in Lubbock probably aren’t worried so long as oil billionaire Cody Campbell is willing to support the Red Raiders’ roster.
But for the other 14, the competitive dynamics are shifting in an ominous direction.
To this point, it does not appear they have the cash to keep up — at least, not on a consistent basis. Anyone can beat anyone on a given Saturday, but success over three months on the field, or four months on the court, is increasingly tied to the cash available to attract and retain talent.
Houston, ASU, Cincinnati, Arizona, Utah — they are well-run football programs with talented players. But best we can tell, they don’t have pockets as deep as the folks in Provo and Lubbock.
Unless that dynamic changes, a hierarchy could form with the Cougars and Red Raiders as the dominant programs on an annual basis. Their showdown in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday might be the first of many such meetings.
Which brings us to the second part of this discussion: Would that be bad for the Big 12?
Would the conference’s strategic position deteriorate if BYU and Texas Tech emerge as the dominant duo — as the Big 12’s version of Michigan and Ohio State, or Georgia and Alabama?
Or might the formation of a distinct top tier benefit the Big 12?
In the two football seasons since Texas and Oklahoma bolted for the SEC, the conference has branded itself as the deepest, most entertaining league in the land — the house of mayhem, where no fourth-quarter lead is safe and the championship is there for the taking.
But parity isn’t ideal in every respect, particularly with the TV ratings that drive media value and the College Football Playoff participation that builds brands.
Everyone loves a villain. USC played the role for decades in the old Pac-12, selling out every opposing stadium and carrying the conference banner on TV sets from coast to coast.
The presence of two villains in the Big 12 would offer each other a foil and, in a 16-team conference, spread the animosity across more schedules every fall.
And Brett Yormark knows it. The Big 12 commissioner has leaned into the parity theme for 18 months but also recognizes the value of powerhouse programs.
After all, the conference will be headed to the negotiating table in 2030 for a new media rights contract.
“Parity is good because it creates interest and excitement,” Yormark told the Hotline last month. “But over time, it would be good if a couple schools can become national brands.”
That path is considerably easier with a mega-donor — or multiple mega-donors — willing to fund external NIL and support internal revenue sharing through philanthropy.
Texas Tech has Campbell.
BYU has Ryan Smith, who owns the Utah Jazz, and Jason McGowan, the co-founder of Crumbl who posted the following on the social media platform X when Penn State ramped up its pursuit of Sitake:
“Some people are not replaceable. Sounds like it is time for me to get off the sidelines and get to work.”
McGowan posted that comment Monday mid-afternoon. Within 24 hours, the Cougars were finalizing Sitake’s extension and the framework for NIL support.
Both the institution and its constituents are reveling in the success, flush with cash and doubling down on their commitment to dominance.
Texas Tech is doing the same: The Red Raiders just handed coach Joey McGuire a seven-year extension reportedly worth $7 million annually.
Up the road in Salt Lake City and across Big 12 campuses from Tucson to Waco to Morgantown, there is good reason for concern. The new economics are reshaping the landscape in Darwinian fashion.
But the news within the news within the news is not all bad for the other 14 members.
The Big 12 would benefit over the long haul — on the field and at the negotiating table — if the two schools squaring off Saturday morning emerge as twin villains for the future.
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