After an awkward stint at Big 12 Media Days, one report helped ease tensions by claiming that the Big 12 and Texas Tech shared a dinner together at a Fort Worth steakhouse.
LUBBOCK -- It has been a rocky offseason to say the least for Texas Tech and part of that rough patch rubbed off on its relationship with the conference it has called home for nearly 30 years, the Big 12.
Much of the animosity between the pair comes from the Brendan Sorsby saga that captivated the entire nation for most of the off-months.
The decision to grant the quarterback accused of several violations caused by a gambling addiction a temporary injunction turned the situation into a full-blown crisis for all parties involved.
When reports broke that the Big 12 could impose sanctions on the Red Raiders if Sorsby took the field, Texas Tech was quick to respond by stating that it would fight these punishments legally.
Even Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threw his hat in the ring and backed Texas Tech. Following the back-and-forth, the conference issued a complaint seeking validation from a judge to enforce its ability to reprimand the program.
Before any more legal decisions could come into play, Sorsby announced that he would not play for Texas Tech and instead seek a spot in the NFL through a potential supplemental draft.
While the tensions deescalated, many assumed that they would rear their head again during Big 12 Media Days. And it took only one question for the situation to be mentioned directly to Commissioner Brett Yormark.
Yormark dismissed the question and essentially said that it was not the time or place to discuss it.
This initial avoidance on Sorsby continued throughout the afternoon and expanded toward any grievance levied at Yormark from those representing Texas Tech. The showing left many feeling even less confident about their relationship with the conference.
Although media days did not appear to do much to make amends, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports released a report that Yormark and members of Texas Tech met together last week to "bury the hatchet."
Dellenger wrote that Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fort Worth's Stockyards was the scene for the first of potentially several reconciliation efforts between the two.
"I think it's tough. I think there's going to be a process. There's a lot of finger pointing. It's going to be something we'll have to work through," said Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire during an interview with Yahoo.
While there has been no other word on how this meeting went, Texas Tech saw one of its main complaints get addressed elsewhere.
Alongside his report on the meeting, Dellenger wrote that the NCAA has sent an inquiry to Cincinnati related to the time Sorsby spent with the Bearcats. Some Texas Tech fans believe that the former team was aware of the gambling by the quarterback based on reports such as one by Matt Hayes of USA Today, which the program has repeatedly denied.
It will continue to be a journey for the Big 12 and Texas Tech, but it appears that the wounds have already begun to heal.
