The incorporation of exotic germ plasm into breeding populations can broaden and diversify the genetic base of adapted genotypes. To more effectively utilize the genetic resources existing in Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, a rapid and efficient method of incorporating exotic genotypes into adapted populations is needed. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of backcrossing to a broad-based population versus backcrossing to an inbred line for developing improved lines from adapted x exotic crosses. A wild sorghum, a cultivated landrace, and a converted sorghum line were crossed to an inbred line (CK60) and a broad-based population (KP9B). After two generations of backcrossing to the respective adapted parent, 50 F2 lines were derived from each of the backcross generations of every mating and evaluated at three test environments. Backcrossing to an inbred line (CK60) gave fewer high-yielding segregates and generated less genetic variation than backcrossing to a population (KP9B). Also, the number of agronomically acceptable lines derived from each CK60 mating was fewer than that derived from the corresponding mating with KP9B. Overall, the use of a broad-based population as an adapted recurrent parent for introgressing exotic genotypes may provide good opportunities for developing suitable inbred lines from adapted x exotic backcrosses.