BYU Football Players Stick Out Like Sore Thumb After Hilariously Returning To Field At First Big 12 Media Days

BYU football played its inaugural season in 1922, more than a century ago. Since then, the Cougars have won 612 games with 437 losses and 27 ties — a 58.1% winning percentage. Not bad.

Over the course of that 101-year span, BYU has been a member of five different conferences.

After leaving the Mountain West in 2011, the Cougars competed as an FBS Independent. They were not affiliated with an NCAA conference— until September 10, 2021. Really, July 1, 2023.

As conference realignment continues to shake things up across the country, Texas and Oklahoma are headed to the SEC next season. To get ahead of their departure, and to fill the void left by Missouri and Texas A&M, the Big 12 added BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF.

Yes, there will be two "Cougars" in the same conference.

The Big 12 will consist of 14 teams during the upcoming year before going back to 12 when the Longhorns and Sooners bounce. And for the first time in more than a decade, as made official on the first of this month, Brigham Young University is a member of a conference.

And for the first time ever, BYU is a member of a Power Five conference.

It appears as though there will be an adjustment period. This whole thing is new to the Cougars, which became apparent at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday.

BYU returned to the field and stood out like a sore thumb.

Media Days, no matter the conference, provides an opportunity for the athletes and coaches that are representing their specific programs to flex their 'fits. Especially in the NIL era.

Media Days present players with the chance to show off their fashion and pull up in their finest suits. Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels did exactly that. He was iced out at AT&T Stadium.

The same can be said for the Cougars — but not for the whole time...

BYU arrived in suits.

However, after changing into their uniforms for team photos like the rest of the conference, they were the only team to return to the field.

The players were in their jersey and pads as the other teams wrapped up their media obligations.

Perhaps the Cougars were unaware of how things work at Big 12 Media Days. They've never been to such an event before. (Mountain West media days just aren't as big of a deal.)

You talk to the media, change into uniform to take some pictures, and then go home.

Perhaps BYU tried to be different. Maybe it was a statement. Maybe it was an attempt at a power move.

Regardless of what happened, for the Cougars to be the only team wearing its uniforms back out onto the field is hilarious. Of course it was BYU. Welcome to the Big 12!

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misstated that BYU arrived in their football uniforms. The team arrived in suits and later arrived in uniforms. We apologize for the error.