Craig James out at Fox Sports Southwest

By Chip Patterson

n the weeks leading up to the 2013 season, Fox Sports Southwest announced that Craig James, the former SMU star and college football broadcaster, would be joining the network’s coverage of Big 12 football. On Monday, it was announced that James would be one-and-done with the Big 12 wrapup show.

“Craig James will not be making any further appearances on Fox Sports Southwest’s football coverage this season,” a network spokesperson told SI.com’s Richard Deitsch.

The hire of James, a controversial figure in the sport, reportedly was not “fully vetted” with upper management.

Covering the Big 12 means James would spend the season commenting on Texas Tech — the school where he and his son, Adam, are recognized for their role in the dismissal of Mike Leach. That, among other reasons, stands out as a reason for someone up the chain at Fox Sports to pull the plug on James’ return to television sets across the southwest.