The Big 12's Monster Deal Is Another Reminder That College Football Is a Business

The Big 12's new partnership with Monster Energy has generated plenty of discussion.

For some fans, it's another sign that college football is losing part of what once made it special.

I understand that reaction.

But I also think it's too late to be surprised.

College football is already a business.

The Monster partnership is simply another reminder.

Over the past several years, nearly every major change in college athletics has pushed the sport closer to a professional model.

Players can earn NIL money.

Schools are preparing for revenue sharing.

The transfer portal has turned roster building into something that resembles free agency.

Coaches routinely sign contracts worth millions of dollars.

Conferences are searching for new revenue streams wherever they can find them.

Against that backdrop, an energy drink company becoming an official conference partner shouldn't shock anyone.

It's the direction the sport has already been moving.

Oklahoma State fans have seen that evolution firsthand.

The Cowboys will already wear the Osage Nation patch on their uniforms, one of the more visible examples of branding becoming part of the college game.

ears ago, something like that would have sparked national headlines.

Today, it feels almost normal.

That's because our expectations have changed.

And they probably had to.

College athletics isn't operating under the same financial model it did even five years ago.

Schools are spending more.

Players are earning more.

The stakes are higher than ever.

That means conferences have to generate more revenue to keep up.

Whether it's naming rights, corporate sponsorships or jersey patches, those opportunities are becoming part of the business strategy.

Professional sports have operated this way for years.

The NFL, NBA, MLB and international soccer all feature corporate partnerships that are integrated into the fan experience.

College athletics is following the same blueprint.

You don't have to love every part of it.

Honestly, I'm not sure I do either.

There is something nostalgic about college football feeling different from professional sports.

Tradition has always been one of the sport's greatest strengths.

Traditions don't pay the bills.

If schools are sharing millions of dollars in revenue with athletes...

If coaches are earning eight-figure salaries...

If players can transfer freely and negotiate NIL opportunities...

It shouldn't be surprising that conferences are looking for new commercial partnerships.

That's simply how modern sports operate.

The Monster partnership isn't changing college football.

The business model already did.

In many ways, this conversation isn't really about Monster at all.

It's about recognizing where college athletics is today.

The days of college football existing in its own separate financial world are gone.

The sport has evolved into something much closer to professional athletics than the version many fans grew up watching.

Some people will celebrate that.

Others will miss what college sports used to be.

Most fans probably fall somewhere in the middle.

Regardless of where you stand, one thing is becoming increasingly clear.

The future of college football won't just be shaped by wins and losses.

It will also be shaped by business decisions.

The Big 12's partnership with Monster Energy is simply the latest example.

The logo may be new.

The business behind it isn't.