Kristian Ferrell
The Big 12 men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination championship with four rounds. The top six seeds receive byes in the first round, and seeding is based on regular-season records. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament. The Big 12 Conference sponsors championships in 25 sports, with 10 men's and 15 women's tournaments, with basketball being one of them. The first conference championship awarded was the 1996 softball postseason tournament championship. The Big 12 men's basketball tournament has been held annually since the first full basketball season was completed in 1997.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year started | 1997 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Number of rounds | 4 |
| Seeding based on | Regular-season records |
| Tiebreakers | Used as needed |
| Bye allocation | Top six seeds in the first round |
| Winner's qualification | NCAA Championship tournament |
| Past winners | Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Longhorns |
| Number of Kansas wins | 12 out of 25 |
| Past locations | Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri; American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas; Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Sprint Center, Kansas City; Oklahoma City |
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Tournament format
The Big 12 men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament with four rounds. The top six seeds receive byes in the first round, and seeding is based on regular-season records. The winner of the tournament is awarded the Big 12 Conference automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament.
The tournament has been held annually since the 1996-97 basketball season. From its inception until 2003, as well as in 2005, the tournament was held at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2003, 2004, and 2006, it took place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and in 2007, it was hosted at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The tournament returned to Kansas City in 2008, this time at the Sprint Center, and again from 2010 through 2025.
In the early years of the tournament, only schools from the original Big Eight Conference won. This streak was broken in 2021 when the Texas Longhorns claimed the championship title against Oklahoma State. Kansas has dominated the Big 12 postseason, winning 12 out of 25 titles and appearing in 15 championship games.
Before the 2010 season, Nebraska and Colorado departed the conference, leaving only ten members. Consequently, the Big 12 Championship game was eliminated, and under the new format, all teams played each other, with the team boasting the best conference record declared the champion. Co-champions were recognised in the event of a tie.
NCAA rule changes in 2016 allowed FBS conferences to hold championship games regardless of their membership numbers, prompting the Big 12 to reinstate its championship game in 2017. The conference played a full round-robin schedule until its expansion to 14 members in 2023 and 16 in 2024. Now, the top two teams at the end of the conference season compete in the championship game, with tiebreakers used if necessary.
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Seeding
The Big 12 was formed in 1996, with the first full basketball season completed in 1997. The tournament has been held annually since its inception. Between 1997 and 2003, as well as in 2005, the tournament was held at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. From 2003 to 2006, it took place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and in 2007, it was hosted at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 2008, it returned to Kansas City, this time at the Sprint Center. The tournament was held in Oklahoma City again in 2009, and then it returned to Kansas City from 2010 through to 2025.
Kansas has been the most successful team in the tournament's history, winning 12 out of 25 postseason titles and appearing in 15 championship games. Iowa State and Kansas have dominated the tournament, winning 18 out of 27 titles between them.
The Big 12 Conference recognises co-champions in the event of a tie between two or more teams with the best conference record. For example, in 2014, TCU and Baylor were named co-champions, despite Baylor having the head-to-head win.
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Championship game location
The Big 12 men's basketball tournament is an annual single-elimination tournament that has been held every year since the first full basketball season was completed in 1997. The tournament location has changed over the years. From its inception in 1997 until 2002, and again in 2005, the tournament was held at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2003, 2004, and 2006, it took place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and in 2007, it was hosted by the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 2008, the tournament returned to Kansas City but moved to the Sprint Center. The 2009 edition was held once again in Oklahoma City, and from 2010 to 2020, it remained in Kansas City. On October 24, 2018, it was announced that the tournament would be held in Kansas City through 2024, and this arrangement was extended by one more year in June 2020.
Kansas has dominated the Big 12 postseason, winning 12 out of 25 titles and appearing in 15 championship games. Iowa State and Kansas are the most successful schools in the tournament's history, with 18 of the 27 titles awarded between 1997 and 2019 going to these two schools.
The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament. With the NCAA rule changes in 2016, the Big 12 reinstated its football championship game in 2017, allowing the top two teams in the final conference standings to compete for the title.
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Past winners
The first Big 12 Conference championship was awarded in 1996 for softball and was won by Oklahoma. The Big 12 Conference sponsors championships in 25 sports, with 10 men's and 15 women's championships. Baseball, basketball, soccer, and tennis titles are awarded based on both regular-season and tournament play.
In the 2014–15 school year, rowing was the only Big 12 sport with affiliate members. The Big 12 had a rowing alliance with Conference USA (CUSA), where Big 12 rowing schools participated in the CUSA championship and their own championship. After most of CUSA's rowing members left for other conferences, the Big 12 took in Alabama, Old Dominion, and Tennessee as single-sport affiliates. Old Dominion left Big 12 rowing after the 2017–18 season but returned to Big 12 women's rowing in 2024–25, along with Tulsa.
From 2011 to 2016, the football champion was determined by regular-season play. Divisional titles were previously awarded based on regular-season conference results, with the North and South division leaders playing in the Big 12 Championship Game. In 2014, the Big 12 was left out of the inaugural four-team College Football Playoff. As a result, the league recognized a tie-breaker starting in 2015. TCU and Baylor were presented as co-champions in 2014, despite Baylor's head-to-head win.
In 2016, NCAA rule changes allowed FBS conferences to hold championship games regardless of membership numbers, leading the Big 12 to reinstate its championship game in 2017. The top two teams at the end of the conference season play in the championship game, with tiebreakers used if needed.
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Co-champions
The Big 12 Conference recognises co-champions in the event of a tie between two or more teams for the best conference record. In this case, the teams are determined to be co-champions. For example, in the 2014 school year, TCU and Baylor were presented as co-champions by the Big 12 Conference, despite Baylor having defeated TCU in the head-to-head game.
The Big 12 Conference also recognises co-champions in other sports, including football. Between 1996 and 2010, the team that played in the championship game was regarded as the divisional champion. However, during this time, the Big 12 Conference officially recognised co-champions in football, such as Kansas State in 1999 and Nebraska in 2000, 2001, and 2008. These co-champions are acknowledged in addition to the team that played in the championship game.
The recognition of co-champions in the Big 12 Conference is an important aspect of the competition, ensuring that teams with equal performance are acknowledged and rewarded. This recognition also adds excitement and intrigue to the tournament, as multiple teams can share the glory of being crowned champions.
It is worth noting that the rules and formats of the Big 12 Conference have evolved over the years, with changes in NCAA regulations and the expansion of the conference. Despite these changes, the concept of recognising co-champions in certain scenarios has remained an integral part of the competition's history and tradition.
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Frequently asked questions
The Big XII Basketball Championship is a tournament held for the top men's and women's basketball teams in the Big XII Conference.
All teams in the conference participate, with the top two teams at the end of the conference season playing in the championship game.
Seeding is based on regular-season records, with the top six seeds getting byes in the first round.
The tournament has been primarily held in Kansas City, Missouri, with a few editions taking place in Dallas, Texas, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The tournament is a single-elimination format, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament.
