The mutual admiration—or was it jealousy?—between the Big 12 program and Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders broke new ground on Wednesday, July 9, this time over their ability to add talent to their rosters at warp speed. That friend/rival finally spoke up—very discreetly, of course. Coach Prime’s comments at Big 12 Media Days were as loud as ever, pointing the finger at how quickly some others (with bigger bank accounts) are making waves.

Well, Joey McGuire heard it. And while he didn’t throw any shade back at Coach Prime directly, the Texas Tech coach used his platform at the 93rd annual Texas High School Coaches Association Convention to respond. Asked about the noise surrounding his program’s offseason spending, the former high school coach turned Big 12 disruptor gave a measured but pointed reply. “Honestly, I kind of laugh because I don’t know any coach that wouldn’t want the support that their university and their boosters put behind Texas Tech,” McGuire said. “Some of it I kind of go like, man, that’s kind of hypocritical.”

McGuire’s been around long enough to spot a double standard. “I’ve been doing this a long time. I was a high school coach for 23 years. I coached 98 Division I football players. I’ve seen all the good, the bad, and the ugly in recruiting.” His point? This isn’t just about splashy NIL numbers—it’s about Texas Tech choosing to play the modern recruiting game the same way bluebloods always have, just with a bigger microphone now.

“I don’t know what Texas’s payroll was last year or Ohio State’s payroll was last year, but nobody was surprised when they were doing it at that level,” McGuire added. “And then all of a  sudden, Texas Tech decides that we’re going to be extremely aggressive in the world—the two worlds—and do it the right way… it shouldn’t be done at Texas Tech?” That line right there—”the two worlds”—was Joey McGuire nodding at the transfer portal and NIL, both of which Tech has attacked like a program hungry to break into the top tier. And boy, have they made headlines.

From landing 22 portal players, many of them immediate impact starters, to the bombshell addition of Felix Ojo—a top-five national OT prospect from Mansfield Lake Ridge—the Red Raiders have been riding a different wave this summer. Reports say Ojo committed with a three-year, seven-figure NIL package, turning Lubbock into a recruiting battleground. It’s the kind of move recruiters once reserved for the likes of Georgia, Texas, and Bama.

“Yeah, Joey got some money,” Deion Sanders said boisterously from a stage at The Star. “Joey, where you at, baby? Spending that money! I love it. I love it. Once upon a time, you guys (media) were talking junk about me going in that portal. Now when everybody’s going in the portal, it’s OK. It’s cool when they do it. There’s a problem when I do it. Ain’t that a rap song?” That’s what made Sanders’ comments so interesting—because while Prime and Joey might be on the same page when it comes to attacking the portal, the tone felt… pointed. Maybe it’s just two bold personalities jockeying in a crowded Big 12 field. But McGuire sees something more layered at play.

“I understand there’s going to be a lot of people that are going to be excited to play us, to prove us wrong, to say, ‘Hey, look, you went out and spent all this money, and this is what your team looks like,’” said McGuire, welcoming that heat. He’s not afraid of the spotlight, nor the expectations that come with it. “We got to control what we can control. I know there’s a lot of expectations. I think expectations are great. I would rather be in that position than be in a position to where you’re like, man, if everything goes right and the ball bounces our way, maybe we can become bowl eligible,” he said. “I’d rather be on the other side of like, hey, we expect you guys to go out and play for the Big 12 championship.”

So, is there animosity? There’s definitely tension—and it’s the good kind. The kind that makes Texas Tech vs. Colorado (or whoever crosses Tech’s new-money path) must-watch football.

Deion Sanders has big respect for the big spenders too

Deion Sanders may have stirred the pot earlier with his $28 million “Joey, where you at, baby?” line, but let’s not get it twisted—there’s no animosity here, just good-natured banter wrapped in mutual admiration. CU took in 33 transfer portal players this offseason, good for No. 19 in 247Sports’ rankings. But Texas Tech? They grabbed the No. 2 portal class in the country. That’s drawn plenty of attention—some of it skeptical—especially given the role of The Matador Club and its big-spending NIL support.

Deion’s message later during Big 12 Media Days was more playful than petty. He didn’t lob grenades—he lobbed compliments. “First of all, let’s get this straight: I love me some Joey McGuire, one of the best coaches in this conference,” Sanders said. “I’ve seen him excel from high school all the way to where he is now and he’s a winner, and I absolutely love it. You know, I love him because he’s a man of standard.”

This wasn’t beef—it was brotherhood with a splash of business. One of Sanders’ sons even played for Joey McGuire at Cedar Hill, and that connection still runs deep.