In the world of college football, the question of which program has the strongest brand appeal is a topic of much debate. While Oklahoma and Texas have historically dominated the sport, their recent decline has left a void in the Big 12. Among the current conference members, BYU stands out as a strong contender for the biggest brand. Its large LDS following and iconic quarterbacks under LaVell Edwards have established BYU as a decent TV draw, even during its decade-plus of independent purgatory. However, Utah has surpassed BYU in on-field success for much of the 2000s, but has never quite ascended the mountaintop. TCU has shown glimpses of what it’s capable of, but any momentum from its national championship run quickly faded. Now, there’s Texas Tech, which has generated significant attention over the past 18 months, thanks to the largesse of a billionaire. The Red Raiders are in the midst of an experiment to see whether they can build a century-old Texas/Oklahoma-type brand virtually overnight. While the future of Texas Tech’s brand is uncertain, one thing is clear: the Big 12 needs a new-age national contender to fill the void left by Oklahoma and Texas. In the meantime, the conference must continue to innovate and adapt to the changing landscape of college football, in order to maintain its relevance and competitiveness.
