EXPOSED: ESPN Caught RIGGING SEC Résumé, BURYING BYU, Iowa State, Houston Basketball, March Madness

Locked On Big 12 | Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast · Jan 13, 2026 · 34m

The perception that ESPN is tilting the scales for SEC basketball over the Big 12 centers on a "feedback loop" of preseason rankings and proprietary metrics. As of early 2026, critics—including prominent Big 12 voices like Drake Toll—point to three primary ways ESPN’s influence inflates SEC resumes:

1. Preseason Metric "Anchoring"

ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI) and similar predictive models (like FPI for football) rely heavily on recruiting rankings and historical "brand" success. Because the SEC consistently recruits at a high level, the conference starts the season with a high…