The Big 12 Conference officially began its 2026 football media days on July 7 and 8 at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The event served as the unofficial start to the upcoming season, bringing together head coaches and selected student-athletes from member institutions.
Arizona State participated on the first day, with seven players representing the program. The group included running back Kyson Brown, tight end Khamari Anderson, offensive lineman Jalen Klemm, defensive tackle C.J. Fite, linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu, defensive back Montana Warren, and safety Lyrik Rawls. These athletes were also noted as peers-voted members of the Pat Tillman Leadership Council.
Arizona is scheduled to present on July 8 alongside Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU, Utah, and West Virginia. The Wildcats will be represented by offensive lineman Tristan Bounds, linebacker Taye Brown, defensive back Jay’vion Cole, quarterback Noah Fifita, defensive end Tre Smith, and wide receivers Chris Hunter III and Tre Spivey.
Commissioner Brett Yormark announced a multiyear partnership with Monster Energy valued at approximately $20 million. The agreement rebrands the conference as "Monster Energy Big 12 Football" and extends to men's and women's basketball. Member schools will receive conference sponsorship patches for their jerseys and new field or court logos. Monster Energy will cover the installation costs for these logos, ensuring no reduction in annual distributions to schools. The conference expects the deal to provide roughly $1 million annually to each member institution. The sponsorship does not prevent schools from selling their own commercial jersey patches.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake addressed recent discussions regarding his team's exclusion from last year's College Football Playoff. Sitake stated he does not campaign for playoff inclusion and emphasized focusing on performance. He suggested that expanding the playoff to 24 teams would make the most sense, noting that other football divisions have utilized larger formats. Sitake acknowledged the difficulty committees face in selection but maintained a focus on improvement.
