Is it just me, or do the Big 12 refs have an agenda? The Colorado Buffaloes’ Travis Hunter isn’t one to shy away from a fight—whether it’s on the gridiron or calling out officiating that could cost him big-bucks fine. The Buffaloes were already down badly after a crushing 37-21 loss to Kansas Jayhawks, which cost the Buffaloes their playoff dreams. But Travis Hunter’s recent comments might have added fuel to the fire. With shady calls and flags getting picked up faster than a Black Friday deal, Travis didn’t hold back at all. But in a league where criticizing refs can cost you big bucks, was his truth worth the risk?

On the Nov.28 episode of the ‘Travis Hunter Show’, Hunter and Boog had a convo about Colorado’s painful loss, but the main highlights? Yes, the refs. The group of bandits in classic black and whites stole Deion Sanders and Boulder’s playoff dreams. When asked about the officiating’s impact, Travis didn’t sugarcoat it. “Yeah, but the referees, I don’t know, bro,” he said. “I don’t know what they be seeing, but hey, the game’s over with. You can’t change nothing about it… They picked up the flag that they threw.” 

The controversy didn’t stop there. Hunter dug into depth, calling out this blasphemy. “You just got to fight against adversity,” he preached. “It’s like, God dang, you really didn’t call that? Crazy. He was looking right at it the whole time…. But as soon as we did something, you best believe we got that flag.” From questionable no-calls to selective penalties, Travis made it clear the Buffs weren’t just going back & forth with Kansas—they were up against the mid-life crisis zebras, too.

Things got even messier when the refs let the Jayhawks defenders take liberties with Shedeur Sanders. “Almost killed my quarterback. I was like, they done flipped your door, it went below the knees…That boy flipped into a pretzel.” Hunter describes a low hit on Shedeur that sent him flipping like a rag doll. Then Boog hits with, “One of the worst hits I’ve seen in a long time.” Imagine throwing a flag on a clear foul only to pick it up like nothing happened. Diabolical, right? That’s what was happening pretty much the entire game.

Big 12’s iron grip on ref talk

But calling out Big 12 refs comes at a price—literally. The league doesn’t just frown on criticism at all; they find it out of existence. Just ask the Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan, who got slapped with a $40,000 fine for dragging the refs after a game against BYU. Or Baylor’s Mack Rhoades, who called officiating in a basketball game an “embarrassment” and got hit with the big $25,000 bill. The Big 12’s stance is crystal clear: speak ill of their refs, and your wallet takes the L and big dent.

The Big 12 ain’t playing when it’s about protecting the refs, even if they have a terrible day at office on the weekend. Gotta find someone who will have you back the way Big 12 got for the refs. For players like Hunter, the stakes are even higher. Travis Hunter’s frustrations scream what Colorado fans have been shouting all season long—something’s wrong with officiating. But in a league where even a hint of criticism can lead to massive fines. The question is: will the Big 12 let it this one slide, or are they already drafting the 25k worth fine letter?