Colorado Joining Big 12 Did Hogs No Favors Recruiting Texas

Already tough, but fertile target area just gave big-time personality an added weapon

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Jul 30, 2023 11:21 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Not that Deion Sanders wasn't already recruiting in Texas, but the news Friday that Colorado has formally approved jumping out of the Pac 12 to join the Big 12 gave him an additional weapon to use in the important recruiting game.

The entire state was already being heavily recruited by every school, but Arkansas has traditionally had success landing players from there for decades. They didn't exactly need yet another obstacle and complication in landing players, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Sure, you can say Fayetteville is a lot closer than Boulder, Colorado, but it's closer for parents to go see games in Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, Waco and Stillwater than where the Hogs are. The Buffaloes cut down on their distances a little, too. Fayetteville is 200 miles closer than Los Angeles, Calif.

Besides, Sanders played for the Dallas Cowboys and kept his home, raised his family and put down roots in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Now he's able to use all of that in his recruiting pitch and, sooner or later, he's going to go head to head with the Razorbacks for some players. He probably already was, but this is another weapon in his arsenal.

Hogs coach Sam Pittman has enough headaches to deal with. Most coaches do these days. The main problem for these coaches with Sanders is he's got a personality and background few coaches can come close to keeping up with.

Pittman will keep selling what he's always sold and that's Arkansas and while Fayetteville is still 800 miles from Boulder, so is the Metroplex. The additional thing is coming to the Big 12 gives him a couple more games a year the Buffaloes will be playing in Texas. That's a LOT closer for the families than even the Hogs.

"This move is a game-changer and we plan on changing the game," Sanders told 247Sports last week. It's not just something else the Hogs are going to have to deal with and figure out ways to overcome.