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BYU Football: Exploring different Big 12 pod options

By Adam Gibby

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 29: Brock Purdy #15 hands the ball off to Jirehl Brock #21 of the Iowa State Cyclones during the fourth quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the Cheez-It Bowl Game at Camping World Stadium on December 29, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 29: Brock Purdy #15 hands the ball off to Jirehl Brock #21 of the Iowa State Cyclones during the fourth quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the Cheez-It Bowl Game at Camping World Stadium on December 29, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders (3) tries to get by Baylor’s Brandon White (24) in the first quarter during the college football game between Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and Baylor University Bears at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. OSU won 24-17.Osu V Baylor
Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders (3) tries to get by Baylor’s Brandon White (24) in the first quarter during the college football game between Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and Baylor University Bears at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. OSU won 24-17.Osu V Baylor /

Sticking with 12 Teams

There is also the chance that the Big 12 decides to stay put at 12 teams. These pods of course could change eventually, but the intent would be to stay with these pods and make the best of them until further notice.

The focus of these pods would be to focus on rivalries, geographic location and trying to keep any pod from appearing to be too weak/loaded, although the latter category is minimal since teams all have their ups and downs (yes even you Kansas).

  • Pod 1: BYU, Baylor, TCU and Houston
    • BYU and TCU already have a natural rivalry. Baylor and Houston seem like they could also build a nice rivalry. While geographically this pod isn’t the best, having the three SE Texas schools all together is a plus and realistically there could be a scenario where BYU just stays in Texas for a week if back to back road games take place. Something of note, this pod would have the two teams, BYU and TCU, who have won national championships.
  • Pod 2: Kansas, Kansas St, Oklahoma St, Texas Tech
    • This pods feels like the heart of the Big 12 with a group full of teams who have been in this conference for decades. This pod would likely carry the Big 12 brand for the first few years after Texas and Oklahoma leave.
  • Pod 3: Iowa St, UCF, Cincinnati and West Virginia
    • This is the one pod that may be tough get rivalries going in. Geographically, none of these schools are anywhere near each other. The issue however is that unless you put Iowa St with Kansas, none of these schools could be close to any other anyway. This pod would be the wildcard pod where a team could come out of nowhere and win the conference.

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What would you do if you were in charge of creating pods? Would you even create pods or try to do a hybrid round robin style?

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