Big 12 Joins Rest of Power 4 with New Roster Availability Rules

Big 12 football and basketball will look a little different beginning in the 2025-26 seasons.

Jul 9, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Big 12 announced on Wednesday that the conference will now require player availability reports for football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball conference games. The Big 12 is the final P4 conference to make this change behind the ACC, Big Ten and SEC, with the change having support from all 16 institutions in the conference.

Starting in the 2025-26 football season, each school will be required to submit daily availability reports 3 days prior to gameday. One final availability report is required 90 minutes prior to kickoff. As for basketball, both men’s and women’s programs will be required to release an availability update two days prior to a conference matchup, with another report finalized on gameday. According to officials, the new rules aim to limit student-athletes, coaches, and staff from potential gambling-related pressures.

With this change, teams won't be second-guessing themselves on who they might be playing on gameday. Based on the Big 12's new rules, players during football season must be listed as available, probable, questionable, doubtful or out. For basketball programs, players will need to be listed as available, a game-time decision, or out.

Is There Something More to the Rule Change?

Oct 21, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; General view of end zone pylons with a Big 12 logo on the field at TDECU Stadium before the game between the Houston Cougars and the Texas Longhorns. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

While the Big 12's changes are something that can be celebrated around the conference, there may be some more reasons as to why the change was originally proposed. With the current state of NIL, collegiate athletes now have the ability to market themselves freely. Whether that's through a school's NIL collective or brand endorsements, a player's ability to be on the field has become even more important in the collegiate athletics landscape.

NIL isn't the only thing affecting this rule change. With legalized sports gambling growing across the nation, it was only a matter of time before collegiate athletics would be affected as well. These availability reports help eliminate some of the guesswork that has often surrounded college sports. Instead of relying on rumors or inside information, there will now be a concrete system in place that benefits athletes, schools, and fans alike.

For players, this means fewer distractions about their health or status being in question. For programs, it ensures a level playing field across the conference. And for fans, it brings a new level of transparency to the gameday experience. The Big 12 may be the last of the Power Four to adopt this system, but the impact might be seen immediately in conference play.

With a league-wide rule like this being implemented, it could lead to another rule change in the future. While the Big 12 doesn't necessarily have an epidemic of this, faking injuries has become normal for some programs in recent years. If the Big 12 is leaning into having more transparency, then there may be changes that are implemented to restrict players from re-entering a game on multiple occasions.