5 Takeaways from Big 12 Media Days (Day 1)

1) The Big XII will be using 8 referees this year.

The 8th striped shirt is primarily for putting the ball into play quickly, but will also provide an extra set of eyes from his position in the offensive backfield. The change is in response to the ever-increasing pace of play.

2) The Big 12 has a new logo.

3) Players are going to have RFID chips embedded in their shoulderpads next season.

Commisioner Bowlsby claims that "He has no idea what they'll do with the data yet."

Conspiracy theorists, take note! If you want to live your life off the grid, do NOT become a football player at a Big 12 school. Ostensibly this is to help gather long term data on acceleration/deceleration as it relates to head injury, but the lone wolves and true believers out there know the truth of it.

4) "The Federation" is the new "Conference Realignment"

Basically, Bob Bowlsby echoed the sentiments of other conference commissioners in suggesting that maybe the NCAA didn't really know it's ass from a hole in the ground, and made allusions to a 'federation' of the major football conferences that would govern football differently than the rest of NCAA sports. This being the offseason, every sportswriter immediately seized on it and now you're going to be reading about it until actual football arrives to distract us.

5) Part of Charlie Weis's recruiting pitch to KU recruits: "Look at that pile of crap out there on the field"

Also included, "If you can't get playing time here, where CAN you play?"