FRISCO, Texas – When Mikel Merino buried Spain’s winner against Portugal into the corner of the net, half of the Arizona State football team’s leadership council completely missed it.
They were too busy doing the wave.
A day before Big 12 media days, the Sun Devils’ Tillman Leadership Council, a group of seven players voted in by their teammates, sat together inside AT&T Stadium in Dallas watching Spain and Portugal in the World Cup.
Tight end Khamari Anderson admitted, “I didn’t know anything about soccer. I never watched a soccer game.”
Running back Kyson Brown said he didn’t realize “how many people fed into that sport,” and was stunned that fans “were standing up and singing the entire time.”
The players believe the atmosphere will mirror what awaits them in London as they participate in the Union Jack Classic on Sept. 19.
“I’m glad to be able to introduce American football to them,” Anderson said. “Hopefully, the same type of fans will be there.”
Offensive lineman Jalen Klemm, who has fought back from a stroke to become one of ASU’s most respected voices, called it “a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity.”
Defensive back Montana Warren, who grew up in East Texas, said, “You could’ve told me this 12 years ago, I’d be like, ‘You’re lying. Ain’t no way.’”
Coach Kenny Dillingham, who had never been to a World Cup, took in the spectacle alongside the leaders of his squad.
“College football is about experiences for guys,” Dillingham said. “For them to be able to experience that, that’s a bucket‑list item. I never dreamed I would go to a World Cup. Sometimes when things are meant to be, they’re meant to be.”
The World Cup trip became the unexpected center of ASU’s media days presence, serving as a shared experience to which players kept returning.
Brown said he learned “you can’t take your eyes off the game; something can happen in an instant.”
Anderson, meanwhile, said seeing Ronaldo’s final World Cup game was “crazy,” adding, “I was shocked by it; I didn’t know anything about soccer.”
Defensive lineman C.J. Fite, one of ASU’s most respected veterans, called it “one of the coolest things I’ve done in my life,” and admitted he missed the goal because he was mid‑wave.
“I just started screaming,” he said.
Another respected veteran, linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu, reflected on the experience.
“That was amazing,” he said. “I’ve only ever played the video game, but just to see the game in person, it was definitely different and definitely something that I would love to go back to.”
Dillingham said the nonstop pace of the game struck him most.
“The game never stops. There’s three breaks in the entire game. To feel the flow of the game just go, it’s such a different feel than football.”
Warren, who has never left the country, touched on his mindset for the upcoming bout against Kansas.
“I’m going to be scared, but it’s going to be fun,” he said. “The love I got for football should be shared in other parts of the world. Wish we did it sooner.”
Defensive back Lyrik Rawls, the only newcomer voted into the leadership council, will face his former team in London.
“Every time I see a post about it, somebody sends it to me,” he said. “It’s been good vibes.”
Dillingham underscored the opportunity presented to them.
“It’s still about 18‑ to 22‑year‑olds and their experience,” he said. “Sending 105 college kids to London to experience something they may never experience again, that’s a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity.”
ASU’s facilities push
Off the field, ASU is undergoing one of the most aggressive facility overhauls in the conference.
Sun Devils athletic director Graham Rossini said, “We’re under the hood on about as much as you can be right now,” noting renovations to Mountain America Stadium’s south lodge (“about 400 seats refreshed”), new north end zone boxes (“34 boxes right by the Tillman statue”) and the multi‑phase rebuild of Desert Financial Arena.
“It’s 50 years old,” Rossini said. “It needs a lot of TLC.”
He added that ASU is “catching up in a lot of respects” and “elevating in a lot of respects,” emphasizing that physical spaces “matter for driving a better game day” and “matter for coaching and teaching and development at a high level.”
Dillingham echoed that urgency.
“You just asked a coach if he’s content, right? Obviously the answer is no,” he said. “We’ll never be content. We’re building a new indoor facility that’s going to be one of the best in the country.”
As ASU tries to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of college recruiting, new facilities are a step in a needed direction as the school strives for a return to the top of the conference.
Yormark’s global ambitions
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark didn’t mince words regarding the league’s direction.
“We have global ambitions as a conference,” he said. “There’s a lot of interest in Europe for what we do.”
He noted that 14% of Big 12 athletes are international and six of the 16 schools have campuses outside the U.S.
The London game fits well into that strategy as the conference looks to gain a foothold overseas.
Rossini said Kansas joined the Union Jack Classic after stadium renovations forced them to explore alternatives.
“Let’s make it a conference game,” he said. “Let’s make it a Big 12 showcase for the globe.”
Another hot topic was expansion. Yormark addressed College Football Playoff expansion in particular, saying, “We need more access. I’m a firm believer in that.”
He also acknowledged the league’s desire to push toward a 24‑team model.
Texas Tech, Brendan Sorsby and Joey McGuire’s perspective
Yormark declined to address the Brendan Sorsby controversy. The Texas Tech transfer quarterback admitted to placing thousands of sports wagers, including bets on his own team while at Indiana.
Although a judge temporarily overturned his NCAA ban and Texas Tech’s administration – including athletic director Kirby Hocutt and coach Joey McGuire – publicly defended the decision to allow Sorsby to remain with the team, intense backlash and a subsequent lawsuit from the Big 12 caused Sorsby to abandon his appeal and leave the program
“Today is not the time to address that issue,” Yormark said.
McGuire felt otherwise, acknowledging the situation directly.
“One thing I truly believe is to bring a team together, shared success is part of it, but shared adversity brings you even closer,” he said. “The last couple months we’ve gone through some adversity.”
McGuire said veterans such as Ben Roberts and Sheridan Wilson kept the locker room steady.
“If you walked into our building every single day, you wouldn’t know anything was going on,” he said.
McGuire met repeatedly with his captains to navigate the situation.
“They’ve been incredible,” he said. “I’m really fortunate we’ve got a strong leadership group.”
When asked whether Tech’s public support of Sorsby came at a personal cost to his reputation, McGuire made light of the topic.
“That’s a great question,” he said. “My peers supported me. Eric Morris called me the first day any news broke. Kalani Sitake said the same thing. Kenny Dillingham made a joke in a group text and then called me and said, ‘I was kidding.’”
He said his concern was for athletic director Kirby Hocutt and president Lawrence Schovanec.
“They went through a lot.”
McGuire emphasized that his communication focused on Tech’s alumni and boosters.
“Those are the ones I concern myself with,” he said. “making sure they understand where we were coming from.”
He also used the moment to advocate for restoring Texas rivalries.
“Spot the ball, we’re ready to go right now,” he said. “Texas and Texas Tech are supposed to play. Texas and Texas A&M are supposed to play. If you’re a Texan, why would we go outside the state to play nonconference games?”
Pat Tillman Leadership Council
Every player representing ASU at Big 12 media days is a part of the Pat Tillman Leadership Council.
Warren explained the council’s purpose better than anyone.
“It’s almost an extension of your head coach,” he said. “Coaches talk every single day; you can tune it out. For your program to take a big jump, you need players in the locker room, during workouts, outside the locker room, being an extension of your head coach. Right now, some of our coaches are on vacation; we’re the coaches right now.”
Dillingham gave full credit to the players that make up the group.
“I don’t do much. They do most of it,” he said. “This is a player‑run program.”
Fite said leadership became easier once he leaned fully into his faith.
“My strength comes from the Lord, all the weight lifted off my shoulders,” he said.
Rawls said being the only newcomer voted in meant “I was doing something right for the guys to want to follow behind me.”
Anderson said the council’s strength is its connection with the rest of the team.
“We don’t just yell at people,” he said. “We build relationships.”
For a program trying to regain its footing in the wake of key changes, a steady group of player-chosen leaders is crucial, and it’s clear that this group is held in high regard.
Return of Prime Time
Colorado coach Deion Sanders arrived at Big 12 media days radiating the same magnetism that has made him one of the sport’s most polarizing and irresistible figures.
“My younger self would be proud,” Sanders said, reflecting on the cancer battle that left him gaunt and weakened throughout 2025. “Last year, I was fighting a battle called cancer. I was probably 15 pounds down, looking like Eddie Cain. I had on the sweatsuit under my suit because I was so thin.”
Then he leaned forward, grinning.
“Now I’m here with full strength, full energy,” he said. “I got that swagger back. I got that dog back. I’m back, baby.”
Sanders said he’s up to 204 pounds with his “legs slightly forward,” and can’t wait to get back on the sideline.
“I cannot wait to get back to camp. I cannot wait to see the kids. I’m excited about this season and the expectations there are.”
In typical Prime fashion, those expectations aren’t modest. Sanders took the college football world by storm in his second season at Colorado, posting a 9-4 record in 2024, but the Buffaloes slipped to 3-9 last season.
“Oh, we better win,” Sanders said. “That’s gonna be the surprise. We’re gonna win. I love what I got. I love what I see.”
He backed up that claim, giving praise to his coaching staff and the squad he oversees.
“This is the best coaching staff that I’ve had in my coaching career,” Sanders said. “I’m excited about the young men. I’m excited about everything we have on this roster because I feel like we have the team to win.”
He also dismissed Colorado’s absence from the preseason All‑Big 12 team.
“We don’t care about what people say,” he said. “Just because our guys were snubbed off a poll that’s probably not going to be consistent with the end of the season. We don’t give a darn.”
Sanders said his players know exactly who they are, and he won’t let outside voices define them.
“If my kids and my coaches and our staff don’t understand who they are, we have a problem,” he said. “They’re not going to allow you to identify who we are.”
Sanders also spoke about how modern college football has forced him to evolve.
“As a coach, it has taught me tremendous patience,” he said. “A lot of young men want to benefit from the game financially. A lot of young men want to benefit because they love the game. You’ve got to really understand there are two sides to this coin.”
He said his five children keep him “hip” to modern trends, and his faith keeps him grounded.
“That’s the only way I can rock steady,” Sanders said. “You guys blow with the wind. I have a God who’s been so darn good to me. I don’t allow anyone out there to tell me who I am.”
With health concerns behind him, Sanders remains primed to be one of college football’s most compelling figures once more this upcoming season.
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