The Big 12 Conference sponsors championships in 25 sports, 10 men's and 15 women's,[2] with two women's sports to be added in the 2024–25 school year.[3] The first conference championship awarded was the 1996 softball postseason tournament championship, which was won by Oklahoma.
From 2011 through 2016, the football champion was decided by regular-season play. Previously divisional titles were awarded based on regular-season conference results, with the teams with the best conference records from the North and South playing in the Big 12 Championship Game for the Big 12 title. Following changes in NCAA rules, the Big 12 will reinstate its football championship game in 2017, with the top two teams in the final conference standings advancing to the title game. Baseball, basketball, soccer, and tennis titles are awarded in both regular-season and tournament play. Cross country, golf, gymnastics, rowing, swimming and diving, track and field, and wrestling titles are awarded during an annual meet of participating teams. The volleyball and softball titles are awarded based on regular-season play. Softball previously held a post season tournament.
All current Big 12 members sponsor baseball except Iowa State, which dropped the sport after the 2001 season, and Colorado, which never sponsored baseball during its first conference tenure and still does not sponsor the sport.[5]
Beach volleyball, organized by the NCAA only for women, is the first of two women's sports to be added in 2024–25. Established full member TCU was joined by incoming members Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah. The Big 12 plans to add other schools in that sport to meet the sponsorship level required for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but gave no timetable for any additions.[3]
Men's Cross Country
All current Big 12 schools sponsor men's cross country except UCF, Utah, and West Virginia.
Four schools participate in equestrian—full members Baylor, Oklahoma State, and TCU, plus associate member Fresno State. Kansas State discontinued its equestrian team after the 2016 season.
This list reflects the official Big 12 totals by including division championships (1996–2010), conference championships won through a postseason championship game (1996–2010 and 2017–present), and conference championships won through the regular season (2011–2016).[10]
The Big 12 counts shared division championships as a full championship for each school, regardless of what school went on to play in the Big 12 title game.
Season
North Division Representative
South Division Representative
Big 12 Champion
Big 12 Championship Game (1996–2010, 2017–present)
Note: While the team playing in the championship game from 1996 through 2010 was popularly regarded as the divisional champion, the Big 12 did officially recognize co-champions in football, just like it does in other sports. As a result, the following teams are also recognized as champions by the Big 12:
North Co-Champions: Kansas State (1999), Nebraska (2000, 2001, 2008), Iowa State (2004), Kansas (2007), Missouri (2010)
South Co-Champions: Texas (2002, 2008), Texas Tech (2008), Oklahoma State (2010), Texas A&M (2010)
[11]2011–2016
When Nebraska and Colorado left the conference after the 2010 season, it left the conference with only 10 members. The conference did not replace the two teams and therefore eliminated the Big 12 Championship game. Under the new format, which remained in place through the 2016 season, every team played each other and the team with the best conference record won the Big 12 title. In the event of a tie between two teams or more teams for the best conference record, then they were determined co-champions. Through the 2013 season, the winner of the head-to-head game earned the BCS berth in the Fiesta Bowl.[12] This was later changed and the league recognized a tie-breaker starting in 2015.[12] The change was made after the B12 was left out of the inaugural four-team College Football Playoff in 2014. The B12 presented TCU and Baylor as co-champs to the College Football Committee in 2014, despite Baylor having the head-to-head win over TCU. The move was seen as a play by the conference to get two teams invited into the new format, which backfired, leaving both teams out.[13]
Following a 2016 change in NCAA rules that allowed FBS conferences to stage championship games regardless of their membership numbers, the Big 12 announced it would reinstate its championship game starting in 2017. The conference continued to play a full round-robin conference schedule until it expanded to 14 members in 2023 (and to 16 in 2024). The top two teams at the end of the conference season (with tiebreakers used as needed) play in the championship game.
With the launch of the College Football Playoff (CFP) in 2014, which coincided with a reworking of bowl tie-ins, the Big 12 tie to the Fiesta Bowl ended.
The Big 12's primary bowl partner is now the Sugar Bowl, In years when that game is not a CFP semifinal, the top teams from the Big 12 and SEC, as chosen by the CFP selection committee, will play one another. If either conference provides a team for the CFP semifinals, the top non-playoff team from that conference will go to the Sugar Bowl.
When the Sugar Bowl is hosting a semifinal, the top Big 12 team not involved in the playoff will receive a berth in either the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, or Peach Bowl.
All current Big 12 members sponsor men's golf. The most recent school to add the sport while a Big 12 member is West Virginia, which added that sport starting in the 2015–16 season.
The Big 12 currently has seven women's gymnastics members—full members Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Iowa State, Utah and West Virginia, plus Denver, an affiliate since the 2015–16 season.
Season
Champion
Women's Gymnastics titles by season
1997
Nebraska
1998
1999
2000
Iowa State
2001
Nebraska
2002
2003
2004
Oklahoma
2005
Nebraska
2006
Iowa State
2007
Nebraska
2008
Oklahoma
2009
2010
2011
Nebraska
2012
Oklahoma
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Denver
2022
Oklahoma
2023
2024
Women's Gymnastics titles by school
Team
Championships
Arizona
0
Arizona State
0
BYU
0
Denver
1
Iowa State
2
Missouri
0
Nebraska
9
Oklahoma
15
Utah
0
West Virginia
0
Women's lacrosse
Women's lacrosse is the other women's sport added in 2024–25. At the time of announcement, Cincinnati was the only full member that sponsored the sport, joined by incoming members Arizona State and Colorado. As in the case of beach volleyball, the other new sport for 2024–25, the Big 12 planned to add other schools to meet the sponsorship level required for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but gave no timetable for any additions.[3] In February 2024, the conference announced the arrival of three associates for its first women's lacrosse season—Florida, San Diego State, and UC Davis.[16]
Rowing
In the 2014–15 school year, rowing was the only Big 12 sport with affiliate members. Before that school year, the Big 12 and Conference USA (CUSA) had a rowing alliance in which all Big 12 rowing schools would participate in the CUSA championship as well as the Big 12 championship. CUSA dropped rowing after the departure of most of its rowing members for other conferences. The Big 12 then took in the three remaining schools from the CUSA rowing league (Alabama, Old Dominion, and Tennessee) as single-sport affiliates. Old Dominion left Big 12 rowing after the 2017–18 season to join the American Athletic Conference, but returned to Big 12 women's rowing in 2024–25. Full American Conference member Tulsa also joined for women's rowing in 2024–25.[16]
Since 2015–16, the Big 12 has also had affiliates in women's gymnastics and wrestling.
The departure of Oklahoma and Texas in 2024 for the SEC would allow that conference to begin sponsoring women's rowing. Both schools that were affiliates in the 2023–24 season (Alabama and Tennessee) are charter SEC members, and SEC bylaws allow it to hold a championship in any sport sponsored by at least 25% of the full membership (four schools). The SEC has not yet announced whether it will sponsor the sport, but the Big 12's announcement of the arrival of Old Dominion and Tulsa hinted at the departure of Alabama and Tennessee. Neither SEC member was included in the list of Big 12 rowing members for 2024–25.
All current Big 12 members sponsor women's soccer. The most recent to add the sport was Kansas State, which announced in 2015 that it was adding the sport. The Wildcats played their first season in 2016 as an independent, and began playing a full Big 12 schedule in 2017.[17]
↑The 2019 conference tournament was canceled due to rain and resulting poor field conditions before pool play could be completed. Regular-season champion Oklahoma received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.[18]
Seven Big 12 schools currently sponsor men's swimming & diving: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, TCU, Utah, and West Virginia.
Season
Champion
Men's Swim & Dive titles by season
1997
Texas
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Men's Swim & Dive titles by school
Team
Championships
Arizona
0
Arizona State
0
BYU
0
Cincinnati
0
Missouri
0
TCU
0
Texas
28
Texas A&M
0
Utah
0
West Virginia
0
Women's Swimming & Diving
Ten Big 12 schools currently sponsor women's swimming and diving: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, TCU, Utah, and West Virginia.
Season
Champion
Women's Swim & Dive titles by season
1997
Nebraska
1998
1999
Texas
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Texas A&M
2008
2009
Texas
2010
Texas A&M
2011
Texas
2012
Texas A&M
2013
Texas
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Team
Championships
Women's Swim & Dive titles by school
Arizona
0
Arizona State
0
BYU
0
Cincinnati
0
Houston
0
Iowa State
0
Kansas
0
Missouri
0
Nebraska
2
TCU
0
Texas
22
Texas A&M
4
Utah
0
West Virginia
0
Men's Tennis
Nine current Big 12 members sponsor men's tennis; Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, the Kansas schools, and West Virginia do not.
All current Big 12 members sponsor men's track and field except UCF, Utah, and West Virginia.
Season
Indoor Champion
Outdoor Champion
Men's Track & Field titles by season
1997
Nebraska
Texas
1998
Nebraska
1999
Texas
Texas
2000
Nebraska
Nebraska
2001
Texas A&M
2002
Nebraska
2003
Texas
2004
Nebraska
2005
Texas Tech
2006
Texas
Texas
2007
Nebraska†
Oklahoma
Texas†
2008
Texas
Colorado
2009
Nebraska
2010
Oklahoma
2011
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
2012
2013
Texas
Texas
2014
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
2015
Texas
Texas
2016
Oklahoma State
2017
Texas
2018
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
2019
2020
Iowa State
2021
Texas
Texas
2022
2023
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
2024
Texas
Men's Track & Field titles by school
Team
Indoor
Outdoor
Total
Arizona
0
0
0
Arizona State
0
0
0
Baylor
0
0
0
BYU
0
0
0
Cincinnati
0
0
0
Colorado
0
1
1
Houston
0
0
0
Iowa State
1
0
1
Kansas
0
0
0
Kansas State
0
0
0
Missouri
0
0
0
Nebraska
9
6
15
Oklahoma
1
1
2
Oklahoma State
2
0
2
TCU
0
0
0
Texas
10
10
20
Texas A&M
2
3
5
Texas Tech
3
5
8
Women's Track & Field
All current Big 12 members sponsor women's track and field.
Season
Indoor Champion
Outdoor Champion
Women's Track & Field titles by season
1997
Nebraska
Texas
1998
Texas
1999
2000
Nebraska
Nebraska
2001
Kansas State
2002
Texas
2003
Texas
2004
Nebraska
2005
Nebraska
2006
Texas
Texas
2007
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
2008
2009
2010
2011
Nebraska
2012
Texas A&M
Texas
2013
Kansas
Kansas
2014
Texas
Texas
2015
2016
2017
Baylor
Kansas State
2018
Texas
2019
Texas
2020
2021
Texas
2022
2023
Oklahoma State
2024
Texas
Women's Track & Field titles by school
Team
Indoor
Outdoor
Total
Arizona
0
0
0
Arizona State
0
0
0
Baylor
1
0
1
BYU
0
0
0
Cincinnati
0
0
0
Colorado
0
0
0
Houston
0
0
0
Iowa State
0
0
0
Kansas
1
1
2
Kansas State
0
4
4
Missouri
0
0
0
Nebraska
6
2
8
Oklahoma
0
0
0
Oklahoma State
1
0
1
TCU
0
0
0
Texas
14
15
29
Texas A&M
5
5
10
Texas Tech
0
0
0
Arizona
0
0
0
Utah
0
0
0
West Virginia
0
0
0
Volleyball
All current Big 12 members sponsor women's volleyball except Oklahoma State, which has never sponsored women's volleyball as a Big 12 member.[23] Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt are the only two schools in the Power Four conferences that do not sponsor women's volleyball, and Vanderbilt (which dropped women's volleyball after the 1979 season) will reinstate the sport in the 2025 season. The only current or future member with a varsity men's team is BYU.
Wrestling crowned regular-season champions in 2011–12 and 2012–13 only.
In 2015, the Big 12 absorbed the Western Wrestling Conference, with that league's six final members becoming Big 12 affiliates effective with the 2015–16 school year. Fresno State and Northern Iowa became affiliates in 2017–18. Missouri became an affiliate during the 2021-22 season after Fresno State dropped its program, and California Baptist became an affiliate in 2022–23 once it completed its transition from NCAA Division II to Division I.
Oklahoma remained in Big 12 wrestling after otherwise joining the SEC, keeping that program together with the only other SEC member to sponsor the sport, former Big 12 member Missouri. Of the four schools that joined the Big 12 in 2024, only Arizona State sponsors wrestling.