Player Availability Reports to be Compulsory for Big 12 Teams for the First Time
The Big 12 Conference has announced that it will require formal player availability reports for football, men's basketball, and women's basketball starting from the 2025-26 season, aligning itself with the other three Power Four conferences (ACC, Big Ten, SEC) that already have similar policies in place.
Key Features of the Big 12 Reports
The new reports will have the following key features:
- Football: Daily player availability reports starting three days before each conference game, with a final update 90 minutes before kickoff. Players must be classified as available, probable, questionable, doubtful, or out.
- Basketball (men's and women's): Reports released the night before games and again 90 minutes before tipoff. Players must be listed as available, game-time decision, or out.
All reports will be published publicly on the Big 12’s official website (Big12Sports.com).
Comparison with Other Power Four Conferences
| Aspect | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12 | |------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------| | Start | 2023 season | 2024 season | Starting in 2025 (also baseball) | Starting in 2025-26 season | | Football reports | Due 2 hours before kickoff | Reports begin 3 days before game | Similar timing with multi-sport | Daily from 3 days before, final 90 minutes before kickoff | | Football player statuses | Available, probable, questionable, doubtful, out | Similar categories | Similar categories | Available, probable, questionable, doubtful, out | | Basketball reports | Game day reports | Early reports followed by update | Reports for football, basketball, baseball | Night before and 90 minutes before tipoff | | Purpose | Promote transparency, protect integrity, deter gambling pressure | Same | Same | Same |
All four conferences emphasize that these policies help protect student-athletes, coaches, and staff from external pressures related to legal sports betting and aim to promote competitive integrity and transparency.
A Step Towards Greater Uniformity
Unlike previous practices where individual schools might sporadically release injury/availability news, the Big 12's new policy is the first league-wide mandatory standard for public player availability disclosure, creating greater uniformity across the conference than before.
This standardized reporting reflects a growing trend among major college athletic conferences to provide consistent and timely updates on player availability, helping fans, media, and stakeholders receive reliable information and reducing the potential for insider information misuse.
The SEC followed suit in 2024, and the Big 12 will release player availability reports for football, men's, and women's basketball before all conference games. The Big Ten and ACC already issue similar availability reports.
The NCAA's Expansion Plans
The NCAA is considering expanding the tournament fields to 72 or 76 teams for the 2027 season, according to ESPN's report. However, the NCAA president, Charlie Baker, mentioned logistics as the biggest obstacle for expedited tournament expansion ahead of the upcoming academic school year.
The NCAA is having good conversations with TV partners CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) regarding potential tournament expansion. Notably, the NCAA's current deal with CBS and WBD runs through 2032 and pays $1 billion annually, but the networks will not have to increase that payout for a larger field.
[1] NCAA Announces Player Availability Reports for Big 12 [2] Big 12 to Require Player Availability Reports for Football, Basketball [3] SEC to Require Player Availability Reports in 2024 [4] Big Ten to Require Player Availability Reports in 2023 [5] ACC Already Issues Player Availability Reports
- The Big 12 Conference will require player availability reports for football, men's basketball, and women's basketball starting from the 2025-26 season, joining the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC in adopting similar policies.
- Under the new Big 12 reports, football players will provide daily availability updates starting three days before each conference game, while men's and women's basketball reports will be released the night before games and again 90 minutes before tipoff.
- The NCAA is considering expanding the tournament fields to 72 or 76 teams for the 2027 season, but logistics pose a significant challenge for expedited expansion. The Big 12's new player availability reports also mark a significant step towards greater uniformity in disclosing injury and availability information across major college athletic conferences, which can help protect against insider information misuse and promote transparency.
- Furthermore, the Big 12's move towards consistent player availability reporting could have implications for sports-betting, as more Timely and reliable information reduces the potential for bettors to use inside information to their advantage.
