Helena Frye
The Big 12 Championship Game is an annual college football game held by the Big 12 Conference, a college athletic conference in the United States. The game is played between the top two teams in the Big 12 Conference, which is made up of schools from the former Big Eight Conference and four teams from the former Southwest Conference. The winner of the Big 12 Championship Game is determined by a head-to-head matchup between the two teams, with the winning team being crowned the Big 12 Champion. The Big 12 Conference also sponsors championships in 25 sports, including baseball, basketball, soccer, and tennis, where titles are awarded based on both regular-season and tournament play.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 11 |
| First played | 1996 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Format | Single-elimination tournament |
| Number of rounds | 4 |
| Number of teams receiving byes in the first round | 6 |
| Basis of seeding | Regular season records |
| Prize | Big 12 Conference automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament |
| Number of unique winners | 2 |
| Most frequent winner | Texas Longhorns |
| Number of venues | 3 |
| Current venue | Kansas City |
| Current venue state | Missouri |
| Current venue contract end | 2025 |
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What You'll Learn
The Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Championship Game is a college football game held by the Big 12 Conference between the best and second-best teams in the conference. The game was played annually from 1996 until 2010 and resumed during the 2017 season. From 1996 to 2010, the championship game pitted the winners of the conference's two divisions, North and South, against each other. Since 2017, the game has featured the two teams with the best conference records.
In basketball, 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 receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament. The Big 12 women's basketball tournament is also held annually and operates similarly to the men's tournament.
The determination of the Big 12 Conference champion has evolved over time. Initially, from 1996 to 2010, the conference was divided into two divisions, North and South, and the championship game was held between the winners of each division. Following the departure of Nebraska and Colorado in 2011, the conference discontinued the divisional format and adopted a round-robin format to determine the champion. From 2011 to 2016, the football champion was decided by regular-season play, with the team holding the best conference record earning the title.
In 2017, the Big 12 Conference reinstated its championship game, matching the top two teams in the final conference standings. This change was made possible by an amendment to NCAA rules, which allowed conferences to stage championship games regardless of their membership numbers.
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Single-elimination tournament
The Big 12 men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament that has been held annually since the 1996-97 basketball season. The tournament features a total of four rounds, with the top six seeds receiving byes in the first round. Seeding is based on regular-season records. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament.
The tournament was first held in Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, in March 1997 and continued to be held there annually until 2003, with the exception of 2005. From 2003 to 2006, it was hosted at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and in 2007, it took place in the Ford Center at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The tournament has since alternated between Kansas City and Oklahoma City, with Kansas City being the primary host.
Kansas has dominated the Big 12 postseason, winning 12 out of 25 titles and appearing in 15 championship games. Between 2005 and 2019, no current Big 12 member besides Iowa State or Kansas won the tournament, and those two schools have claimed 18 of the 27 titles. The remaining current Big 12 schools have only managed to secure six additional tournament titles between them.
The single-elimination format of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament adds excitement and unpredictability to the competition. Each team must bring their best performance to every game, as a single loss can eliminate them from the tournament. This format intensifies the stakes and creates a challenging environment for the players, testing their skills, strategy, and resilience under pressure.
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Co-champions
The Big 12 Conference sponsors championships in 25 sports, including baseball, basketball, soccer, and tennis. The Big 12 men's basketball tournament has been held annually since the first full basketball season was completed in 1997.
In the event of a tie between two or more teams for the best conference record, they are declared co-champions. This occurred in 2014 when Baylor and TCU finished the season with an 8-1 conference record and were declared co-champions, despite Baylor's head-to-head win. The Big 12 also officially recognizes co-champions in other sports, including football.
The Big 12 Championship Game is a college football game held between the best and second-best Big 12 teams. From 1996 to 2010, the championship game pitted the Big 12 North Division champion against the South Division champion. Following the departure of two schools in 2010, the conference discontinued the championship game in favor of a round-robin format to determine the champion.
The Big 12 men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament of four rounds, with the top six seeds receiving byes in the first round. Seeding is based on regular-season records, and the winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament.
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NCAA rules
The NCAA has specific rules and requirements that govern the determination of the Big 12 basketball champion. The Big 12 Conference, established in 1996, sponsors championships in a variety of sports, including basketball. Initially, from 1996 to 2010, the Big 12 was divided into two divisions: the North Division and the South Division. The championship game during this period was held after the regular season and pitted the champions of these two divisions against each other.
However, NCAA rules at the time mandated that a conference must have 12 members to organise a football championship game exempt from regular-season game limits. Consequently, after the departure of two schools in 2010, the Big 12 Conference discontinued its championship game, opting instead for a round-robin format to determine the champion.
In 2016, the NCAA rules underwent a significant change, now allowing conferences with fewer than 12 teams to hold championship games. This rule change was instrumental in the Big 12 Conference's decision to reinstate its championship game starting in 2017. The updated format features the top two teams with the best conference records, regardless of divisional affiliations.
In the case of a tie between two or more teams for the best conference record, they are declared co-champions. This scenario occurred in 2014 when Baylor and TCU were named co-champions, despite Baylor having a head-to-head win.
The Big 12 Conference includes a range of sports in its championship repertoire, with 10 men's and 15 women's sports, and the number is ever-growing. The conference has expanded over the years, adding new members and sports to meet the sponsorship requirements for automatic qualification to the NCAA tournament.
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Tournament locations
The Big 12 Championship Game is held at various locations within the Big 12 states. The championship game was previously held at several sites, with Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, serving as the most frequent venue. From its inception in 1997 until 2003, the tournament was held annually at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, in early March, except in 2005.
In 2003, 2004, and 2006, the tournament venue shifted to the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. In 2007, it was hosted in the Ford Center at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The tournament returned to Kansas City in 2008, this time at the Sprint Center.
The 2009 championship game took place in Oklahoma City, and from 2010 through 2020, it was consistently held in Kansas City. On October 24, 2018, it was announced that the Big 12 Tournament would remain in Kansas City through 2024, and this arrangement was further extended until 2025 in June 2020.
Additionally, from 2009 through 2013, the game was scheduled to be played at Cowboys Stadium, now renamed AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas. The Big 12 is currently under contract to play the game at this stadium until 2030.
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Frequently asked questions
The Big 12 Conference sponsors championships in 25 sports, with the top two teams at the end of the conference season playing in the championship game. The winner of the tournament receives the Big 12 Conference automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament.
The Big 12 was formed in 1996, with the first championship game played after the 1996 regular season.
The tournament has been held in various locations, including Kansas City, Missouri; Dallas, Texas; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Big 12 is currently under contract to play the game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, until 2030.
