On Day 2 of Big 12 Media Days, UCF and Cincinnati share how they feel about joining the conference and their thoughts on the upcoming schedule.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Big 12 Media Days made its way to Arlington for another year of conference talk at AT&T Stadium.
It’s a historical year for the Big 12 with a lot to break down. Four new teams are joining the party this year, and two are hitting the road in 2024.
Cincinnati, Houston, BYU and UCF are the four new schools joining a power five program. The first team that the UCF Knights will host in Orlando is the Baylor Bears.
Knights head coach Gus Malzahn says the Big 12 is full of teams that know how to put points on the board.
“Great offense is what stands out to me first and you gotta play good defense or they’ll run you out of town,” Malzahn said. “The second thing is there is big-time coaching. Great coaches and not just head coaches. There are some great coordinators in this league too. It’s a really, really challenging league.”
Two former Big 12 Champions are slated to start off UCF’s schedule, with the Knights hitting the road to Kansas State and hosting Baylor. Senior quarterback John Rhyse Plumlee is excited for the challenge.
“I think if you’re gonna do it, do it big. Really two strong programs and we are going to start it off with them,” Plumlee said. “What else could you ask for as a new and upcoming school in this power five? I think we’re the youngest power five school by 30 years or something like that. What better way to start it off than playing two of the strongest schools in the past two years, right?”
The Knights aren’t the only new kids coming to town. Cincinnati also claims a spot in the conference, and the Bearcats come in with some secret weapons.
“They don’t know anything about our players or how we do things. It’s going to be new for them. These guys who have been playing in the league know each other. They don’t have history with us. We need to use that to our advantage,” Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati head football coach, said. “They don’t know our players or how we do things offensively or defensively.”
Jumping to a power conference is a tough gig, but these four new teams are coming in hot. In 2021, the Bearcats had a college football playoff berth that stunned the country, and UCF made noise in big-time bowl appearances.
These four additions lessen the blow of two top dogs leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. The farewell tour begins for Texas and Oklahoma, but for the Longhorns, this season is nothing new and their eyes are set on the big prize.
“It won’t be awkward for us. We’ve got a roster full of players who came to the University of Texas to try to win a Big 12 Championship,” Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We’ve got one more opportunity to do that and I think our guys are focused on that.”
This 2023 season will go down in history as one for the record books with 14 teams for the first time in the conference and elite squads stacking the schedule.
It’s time to get your popcorn ready because this is going to be a fun one. Let the countdown to football season begin!
More from 6 News:
Original News Source
Click here for San Antonio HOA Management