Big 12 Fires Back at Steve Sarkisian Over Controversial CFP Call

After the Arizona State Sun Devils took down the Texas Longhorns in softball, the Big 12 took the time to fire back at Steve Sarkisian and the football program.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks into Sanford Stadium before a game against the Georgia Bulldogs. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

College sports are known for the fan base interactions. With increased regionality, teams and their fans are often more animated than those who strictly follow sports at the professional level.

That's even more heightened in the south, where college sports are often the number one source of fandom in that part of the country. For the Texas Longhorns, that pressure is doubled as they are often viewed as one of the most volatile fan bases in the country.

This time, though, it wasn't the Longhorns taking a shot, but instead on the receiving end. After the Arizona State Sun Devils won Game 1 of their super regional against the Longhorns, the Big 12 took the time to poke fun at the Longhorns, saying they didn't need help to win tonight.

How the Feud Started

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian pauses during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Longhorns and the Sun Devils are not traditional rivals, at least they haven't been viewed as such, which is why now it feels like the divide between the programs has escalated as of late. In reality, though, the feud between the two programs started two seasons ago during the College Football Playoff.

The Longhorns were taking on the No. 4 seed Sun Devils in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl on New Years Day, and after the Longhorns dominated the game early on, the Sun Devils staged a late game comeback to tie the game at 24-24.

With 1:14 left in the game, the Longhorns forced the Sun Devils into a 3rd &15, and after a pass across the middle to receiver Melquan Stovall, safety Michael Taaffe met him over the middle to make a tackle that forced the Sun Devils to punt.

Outcries were heard over social media about the referees missing a targeting call on the play, which would have given the Sun Devils a fresh set of downs. Instead, they punted, and the game would go to overtime where the Longhorns would end up winning 39-31.

Now the Big 12 Made A Callback

Arizona State wide receiver Melquan Stovall (5) is tackled by Texas defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) after a catch during the fourth quarter in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Longhorns were hosting the Sun Devils in the super regional, and as the No. 2 seed, they were viewed as heavy favorites to defend their home diamond. The Sun Devils, to their credit, have proved why they are one of the hottest teams in the country and won game one, 4-1.

The Big 12 used that window of opportunity to bring up the Longhorns' win in the Peach Bowl, while also throwing shade after his comments about the conference this past week.

. @CoachSark needed some help to beat the Sun Devils.

no help tonight. game 1 taken. 🥎 https://t.co/K4bRp53yNr

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 23, 2026

While it seemed like a good poke at the Longhorns expense after winning a critical game one, the Sun Devils and the Big 12 should be wary, as losing game one is par for the course for the Longhorns, including happening last year, before they went on to win the national championships.

With game two of the super regional slated to take place later today, a new rivalry could be brewing between unlikely sources.

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