History of Big 12 Conference in Timeline
The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States, currently composed of 16 full-member universities across multiple states including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, the conference governs intercollegiate athletics amongst its member institutions, setting rules and organizing championships. Historically, the conference's membership and influence have been largely concentrated in the central United States, but recent expansion has broadened its geographic footprint. The Big 12 is a major player in college sports, particularly in football and basketball, generating significant revenue and national attention.
February 1994: Big 12 Founded
In February 1994, the Big 12 Conference was founded. It was formed by the merger of all eight members of the former Big Eight Conference with Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech from the Southwest Conference.
1996: Championship Game Start
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 from 1996 to 2010.
1996: Big 12 Conference Play Structure
From 1996 to 2011, standings in Big 12 conference play were not split among divisions. Teams played a home-and-home series against teams within their divisions and a single game against teams from the opposite division.
1996: Big 12 Conference Teams Played Eight Conference Games
In 1996, Big 12 Conference teams began playing eight conference games per season, where each team faced all five opponents within its division and three from the opposite division.
1996: Inaugural Big 12 Championship Game
In 1996, the Big 12 Championship Game, approved by all members except Nebraska, commenced at the Trans World Dome in St. Louis. It featured the division champions after the regular season.
1996: Conference Play Begins
In 1996, the Big 12 Conference began its athletic play.
1996: Inaugural Season
In 1996, the Big 12 Conference began its inaugural season of athletic competition.
1996: Texas Tech Tournament Appearance Vacated
Texas Tech's 1996 Tournament appearance was vacated by the NCAA.
1999: Arizona Tournament Appearance Vacated
Arizona's 1999 Tournament appearance was vacated by the NCAA.
2001: Iowa State Drops Baseball
After the 2001 season, Iowa State dropped its baseball program.
2002: Jayhawks Complete Undefeated Big 12 Regular Season
The 2002 Jayhawks became the first, and so far only, team to complete an undefeated Big 12 regular season, going 16–0.
2004: Kansas Begins Streak of Big 12 Titles
In 2004-05, Kansas began a streak of winning or sharing the regular-season Big 12 title, continuing through 2016-17.
2007: No Team National Title
In 2007, the Big 12 Conference did not win at least one team national title.
2008: Big 12 Championship Game Location Change
After the 2008 game, the Big 12 Championship event was moved to the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
2008: Arizona Tournament Appearance Vacated
Arizona's 2008 Tournament appearance was vacated by the NCAA.
2009: Big 12 Championship Game at Cowboys Stadium
In 2009, the Big 12 Championship game was held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
2010: Championship Game Location Set for Future Years
After 2010, the Big 12 Championship game was scheduled to be held in Arlington for 2011, 2012, and 2013.
2010: Championship Game End
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 from 1996 to 2010.
2010: Big 12 Conference Teams Played Eight Conference Games
In 2010, Big 12 Conference teams were still playing eight conference games per season, a format that had been in place since 1996.
2010: Sooners Defeat Cornhuskers in Championship Game
In 2010, the Sooners defeated the Cornhuskers 23–20 in the Big 12 Championship game held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
2011: Charter Members Depart
Between 2011 and 2012, four charter members left the conference.
2011: Big 12 Championship Game Decision Becomes Moot
In 2011, the decision to hold the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington became moot due to the league lacking sufficient members following conference realignment.
September 7, 2012: Big 12 Announces Media Rights Agreement with ESPN and Fox
On September 7, 2012, the Big 12 announced a 13-year agreement with ESPN and Fox valued at $2.6 billion, splitting college football rights and sublicensing basketball rights.
2012: Charter Members Depart
Between 2011 and 2012, four charter members left the conference.
2012: ESPN and CBS Sports sublicense
In 2012, ESPN began sublicensing college basketball games to CBS Sports.
2012: West Virginia Joins Big 12
In 2012, West Virginia joined the Big 12 and has since won national championships in rifle.
2012: Big 12 Championship Game Decision Becomes Moot
In 2012, plans to hold the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington became moot as the league still lacked sufficient members.
2012: Media Rights Agreement with Fox and ESPN
In 2012, the Big 12 announced a media rights agreement with Fox and ESPN, valued at an estimated $2.6 billion through the 2025 expiration.
2012: Universities Join
In 2012, two universities joined the Big 12 Conference.
2013: Big 12 Championship Game Decision Becomes Moot
In 2013, scheduled plans to hold the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington remained moot because the league still lacked sufficient members.
2014: Big 12 in the Playoffs
In 2014, the Big 12 began making appearances in the playoffs.
April 2015: ACC and Big 12 Develop New NCAA Rules
In April 2015, the ACC and the Big 12 developed new rules for the NCAA to deregulate conference championship games.
December 8, 2015: Big 12 Announces Non-Conference Scheduling Requirement
On December 8, 2015, the Big 12 announced that all teams would be required to schedule a non-conference game against a team from the other Power Five conferences (plus Notre Dame) to strengthen their resumes for College Football Playoff selection.
January 14, 2016: Measure Passed Allowing Championship Games with Fewer Than 12 Teams
On January 14, 2016, a measure passed allowing a conference with fewer than 12 teams to stage a championship game without counting against the FBS limit of 12 regular-season games.
2016: Kansas Ends Streak of Big 12 Titles
In 2016-17, Kansas concluded its streak of winning or sharing the regular-season Big 12 title, having started in 2004-05.
2017: Arizona Tournament Appearance Vacated
Arizona's 2017 Tournament appearance was vacated by the NCAA.
2017: Big 12 Championship Game Resumes
At the conclusion of the 2017 regular season, the Big 12 championship game resumed and was played during the first weekend of December.
2017: Big 12 Playoff Participant
In 2017, Oklahoma made it to the Big 12 playoffs.
2017: Kansas Forced to Vacate Wins
In 2017-18, Kansas was forced to vacate 15 victories due to the use of an ineligible player, including the Big 12 regular season and postseason championships.
2018: Big 12 Playoff Participant
In 2018, Oklahoma made it to the Big 12 playoffs.
2019: Big 12 Playoff Participant
In 2019, Oklahoma made it to the Big 12 playoffs.
2020: No Team National Title
In 2020, the Big 12 Conference did not win at least one team national title, partially due to cancellations from the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Big 12 Tournament Cancelled Due to COVID-19
The 2020 Big 12 Tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19.
June 10, 2022: Buyout Agreement for New Members
On June 10, 2022, The American Athletic Conference and BYU, Cincinnati, and Houston announced a buyout agreement, enabling these schools to join the Big 12 in 2023.
August 1, 2022: Brett Yormark Becomes Commissioner
On August 1, 2022, Brett Yormark officially took office as the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.
September 9, 2022: Big 12 Appoints WME Sports and IMG Media
On September 9, 2022, the Big 12 appointed WME Sports and IMG Media, both Endeavor companies, to facilitate its global content and commercial strategy.
October 30, 2022: Big 12 Reaches Early Broadcast Deal with ESPN and Fox
On October 30, 2022, the Big 12 announced that it had reached an early broadcast deal to renew rights with ESPN and Fox for six years, worth a total of $2.3 billion, also including an "escalator clause" that would raise the value of the contracts if only Power Five schools are added.
November 14, 2022: Big 12 Forms Business Advisor Board
On November 14, 2022, the Big 12 formed a comprehensive business advisor board composed of over three dozen entrepreneurial icons and industry leaders including Monte Lipman, Steve Stoute, Mark Shapiro, Gary Vaynerchuk, Garth Brooks, Jason Kidd, Keith Sheldon, and Ross Levinsohn.
2022: Big 12 Playoff Participant
In 2022, TCU made it to the Big 12 playoffs.
2022: Media Rights Renewal with ESPN and Fox Sports
In 2022, the Big 12 renewed its media rights with ESPN and Fox Sports for six seasons starting in 2025-26, estimated at US$380 million average annual fee.
2022: Big 12 Bowl Games
The 2022 season included various bowl games for Big 12 teams.
2022: Wrestling Lineups
The 2022-23 wrestling lineups included only 4 full Big 12 conference members with the remaining wrestling schools as affiliate members.
March 15, 2023: Conference-Wide Pro Day Announced
On March 15, 2023, the Big 12 announced a conference-wide Pro Day, a first-of-its-kind event across all college conferences, before the 2024 NFL draft. The Pro Day would be televised on NFL Network.
June 2023: Big 12 Mexico Initiative Announced
In early June 2023, the Big 12 announced the "Big 12 Mexico" initiative, including men's and women's soccer, baseball, basketball, and football games, and an international media rights strategy.
July 27, 2023: Colorado Rejoins Big 12
On July 27, 2023, Colorado announced it would rejoin the Big 12 Conference from the Pac-12 starting in the 2024-25 academic year.
2023: Top Big 12 Members in NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball
As of the end of the 2023-2024 season, nine current Big 12 members rank among the teams with the most wins and/or the highest win percentage in NCAA Division 1 men's basketball.
2023: College Football Playoff Revenue
For the 2023-24 football season, the Big 12 received $79.4 million for participating in the college football playoff.
2023: BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF Join Big 12
In 2023, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF joined the Big 12 Conference for the 2023-2024 season.
2023: Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati Join Big 12
In 2023, Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati joined the Big 12, and have not won a championship in the Big 12.
2023: Big 12 Playoff Participant
In 2023, Texas made it to the Big 12 playoffs.
2023: Wrestling Teams
In 2023, the Big 12 had 13 members competing in wrestling, making it the sport with the most competing schools in the conference at that time.
2023: New Members Begin Competing
In the summer of 2023, BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston began competing in Big 12 athletics.
2023: Institutional Reporting to the Department of Education
Institutional reporting to the United States Department of Education for the 2023-24 academic year is available on the DOE Equity in Athletics website.
2023: Big 12 Conference Tax Filings
On May 6, 2024, ProPublica reported Big 12 Conference distributions using Schedule A of the Big 12 Conference tax filings for the fiscal year beginning 07-01-2022 and ending 06-30-2023.
2023: Temporary Expansion to 14 Members
When the Big 12 temporarily expanded to 14 members for the 2023-24 season, the 18-game schedule remained, but the double round-robin was discontinued.
May 6, 2024: Big 12 Conference Tax Filings
On May 6, 2024, ProPublica reported Big 12 Conference distributions using Schedule A of the Big 12 Conference tax filings for the fiscal year beginning 07-01-2022 and ending 06-30-2023.
July 2024: Big 12 Mexico Focus Narrowed
In July 2024, the Big 12 announced that it would narrow its focus in Mexico to baseball and women's soccer games.
2024: Top Big 12 Members in NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball
As of the end of the 2023-2024 season, nine current Big 12 members rank among the teams with the most wins and/or the highest win percentage in NCAA Division 1 men's basketball.
2024: TCU leads Baylor in Revivalry
Following the 2024 game, TCU leads the series 59-54-7 in the rivalry between TCU and Baylor known as the Revivalry.
2024: Big 12 Playoff Participant
In 2024, Arizona State made it to the Big 12 playoffs.
2024: ESPN Acquires Third-Tier Rights for Big 12 Teams
In 2024, ESPN continues to hold third-tier rights for Big 12 teams.
2024: Alamo Bowl Revenue
In 2024, the Alamo Bowl between BYU, representing the Big 12, and Colorado, paid the conference $9.8 million.
2024: Big 12 Creates Big 12 Studios FAST Channel
In 2024, the Big 12 announced the creation of a Free ad-supported streaming television channel, Big 12 Studios, operated in partnership with Raycom Sports.
2024: Inaugural Conference-Wide Pro Day
In 2024, the Big 12 will host its first conference-wide Pro Day at the Dallas Cowboys training complex, Ford Center at The Star, before the NFL draft.
2024: Big 12 basketball schedule changes
In 2024-25, the Big 12 played a 20-game schedule.
2024: NCAA Basketball Tournament Revenue
In the 2024 NCAA basketball tournament, Big 12 Conference teams earned 15 units, worth $30 million.
2024: Wrestling Lineups
The 2024-25 wrestling lineups included only 4 full Big 12 conference members with the remaining wrestling schools as affiliate members.
2024: Totals through the end of the 2024-25 Regular Season
The data provided are totals though the end of the 2024-25 regular season.
2024: National Championships
The national championships listed are as of the 2024−25 season. Football, Helms, pre-NCAA competition and overall equestrian titles are included in the total, but excluded from the column listing NCAA and AIAW titles.
July 2025: Sponsorship Deal with PayPal
In July 2025, the Big 12 announced a sponsorship deal with PayPal worth about $100 million over 3 years, roughly $2 million per school per year.
2025: Expiration of Media Rights Agreement
In 2012, the Big 12 announced a media rights agreement with Fox and ESPN, valued at an estimated $2.6 billion through the 2025 expiration.
2025: Big 12 basketball schedule changes
In 2025-26, the Big 12 will play an 18-game basketball schedule due to input from coaches.
2025: NCAA Basketball Tournament Revenue
In the 2025 NCAA basketball tournament, Big 12 Conference teams earned 20 units, worth $40 million.
2025: Oklahoma State Men's Cross Country National Title
Oklahoma State men's cross country team won a national title in 2025.
2025: Tier 3 Rights Held by ESPN
Starting in the 2025-26 school year, the Big 12's tier 3 broadcast rights are bundled as part of the television deal extension, with ESPN holding all of the Big 12's tier 3 rights.
2025: Totals through the end of the 2025 season
The data provided encompasses totals through the end of the 2025 season.
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