Minutes ago, On3's Brett McMurphy detailed the Big 12's new initiative to provide availability reports.
Big 12 will release availability reports for league football & basketball games this season, sources told @On3sports. All of the Power 4 conferences will now provide availability reports this seasonhttps://t.co/ZDYrkXTIgQ
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 13, 2025
The article goes on to detail that football reports will be provided daily, three days in advance before a game, and one on gameday, 90 minutes before kickoff.
The statuses given to the players will be “available, probable, questionable, doubtful, or out.” Basketball programs will indicate if players are “available, game-time decision or out.”
This is the new status quo in collegiate athletics. Earlier this summer, the ACC decided they will pursue the pre-game reports; the Big 10 and the SEC already have issued the reports over the last two years and last season, respectively.
What is the point?
According to the piece, “There’s stresses on our student-athletes from individuals who are trying to garner information,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said at ACC media days. “Sometimes it’s pretty innocent. They just want to know because they’re a big fan. But other times it leads into the gambling and sports wagering path.”
How effective will it be?
At the end of the day, the goal is to deter these student athletes from being harassed online for information. This is a forward step in that process. Ultimately, seeing statuses will only go so far as reports like "questionable" or "game-time" decision leave ambiguity. Coaches can also try to work the system by managing every player as "questionable" to leave bettors, fans, opposing coaches, and teams without any information.
No matter what, the problem will never fully be solved as players will be pushed for information agnoseium, but for the Big 12 and for the NCAA, this is the best measure they can concoct in the meantime.
For those looking for the reports, all the reports will be available on the Big 12 website and other power conference websites.