Helena Frye
The Big 12 Conference is considered one of the best basketball conferences in the country, with a reputation for being the most physical conference. The conference has consistently performed well in the NCAA basketball tournament, with teams earning 15 units (worth $30 million) in the 2024 tournament and 20 units (worth $40 million) in the 2025 tournament. In the 2022-23 season, the Big 12 had the highest average rating using the Men's College Basketball Power Index (BPI) of any conference, with eight or nine teams in the 10-team conference playing at a high level. However, some argue that the conference is not the best, citing Baylor's embarrassing loss to Gonzaga as a blow to the Big 12's reputation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Best men's college basketball conference | The Big 12 |
| Best women's basketball conference | The Big 12 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Teams playing at a high level | 8 or 9 |
| Teams in BPI's top 10 | 3 |
| Teams in the Associated Press Top 25 | 6 |
| Teams in Ken Pomeroy's top 20 | 6 |
| Teams in Jeff Sagarin's top 25 | 6 |
| NCAA tournament bids | 8 |
| Average rating using Men's College Basketball Power Index (BPI) | 11 |
| Weakest team's BPI | 9 |
| Average BPI of second-ranked Big Ten | 8.5 |
| Number of teams with the 10 hardest remaining schedules | 10 |
| Number of exciting games in the regular season | 3 |
| Matchup Quality metric | 94.6, 95.2, 96.3 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Big 12's reputation
The Big 12 Conference has a reputation for being the best and deepest conference in men's college basketball. In 2023, ESPN declared that the Big 12 was the best men's college basketball conference in the country. This was based on the conference's performance in the previous two NCAA men's tournaments, as well as its high average rating using the Men's College Basketball Power Index (BPI). The Big 12 was the only conference with three teams in the BPI's top 10: Texas, Kansas, and Baylor.
The New York Times also weighed in on the debate, arguing that while other conferences had strong individual teams, the Big 12 stood out for its depth. Eight or nine teams in the 10-team conference were playing at a high level, with six teams ranked in the top 15 of The Associated Press Top 25. The Big 12's strength was further demonstrated by the fact that it had the 10 hardest remaining schedules among men's college basketball teams.
The Big 12 has a reputation for being the most physical conference in the country. Kansas coach Bill Self boasted that the league had "no bottom," implying that even the weakest teams in the conference were competitive. However, this reputation took a hit after Baylor's embarrassing loss to Gonzaga, which was widely covered by the national media.
The Big 12 Conference has also been praised for its community engagement initiatives, such as the "Big 12 Hoops in the Park" event hosted in partnership with Rucker Park. The conference has a strong media presence and generates significant revenue from postseason play, including NCAA basketball tournament revenue. The conference has maximized creative sponsorships in the era of Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) payments to student-athletes.
Indiana High School Basketball: Tournament Existence and History
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Big 12's depth
The Big 12 is widely considered the best basketball conference, with some arguing that it has been the best 75% of the time since 2001. The conference has consistently performed well in the NCAA basketball tournament, with conference teams earning 15 units (worth $30 million) in the 2024 tournament and 20 units (worth $40 million) in the 2025 tournament.
The Big 12's strength lies in its depth, with eight or nine teams in the 10-team conference playing at a high level. The Big 12 has the highest average rating using the Men's College Basketball Power Index (BPI) of any conference at 11. Even the weakest team, Texas Tech, has a BPI of 9, which is higher than the average of the second-ranked Big Ten. The Big 12 is the only conference with three teams in the BPI's top 10: Texas, Kansas, and Baylor.
The conference's depth also shows in the ratings, with six teams in the top 15 of The Associated Press Top 25, six in the top 20 of Ken Pomeroy's computer ratings, and six in the top 25 of Jeff Sagarin's ratings. ESPN's Bracketology predicts that the conference will get NCAA tournament bids for eight of its ten teams, with a ninth just missing out.
However, the Big 12's reputation took a hit after Baylor's embarrassing loss to Gonzaga, and the conference has had a rocky start to the season, so only time will tell if its depth will be enough to maintain its status as the best basketball conference.
Appraising Basketball Cards: A Beginner's Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Exciting games
The Big 12 Conference has been described as the best men's college basketball conference in the country. This is due to its consistently strong performance in recent years, with the past two national titles going to Kansas and Baylor. The Big 12 has a reputation for being the most physical conference, and its teams are known for being tough competitors.
The conference has also been praised for its depth, with eight or nine teams in the 10-team Big 12 playing at a high level. This means that fans can expect exciting games throughout the season, as any team has the potential to come out on top. The Big 12 has the highest average rating using the Men's College Basketball Power Index (BPI) of any conference at 11. Even the weakest team, Texas Tech, has a BPI of 9, which is higher than the average of the second-ranked Big Ten.
ESPN Analytics uses a combination of BPI ratings and projected game closeness to generate a metric called Matchup Quality for each game. This metric predicts how entertaining a game will be on a scale of 0 to 100. During the 2022-23 season, three of the most exciting games of the regular season were Big 12 matchups featuring the conference's top-10 BPI teams. These games included Baylor at Texas Tech, Kansas at Kansas State, and Texas at Iowa State. Such matchups between highly rated teams in the same conference are rare, with only about 50 earning a rating above 94 in a typical season.
The Big 12 Conference also hosts a variety of community engagement events, such as "Big 12 Hoops in the Park," which includes men's and women's summer exhibition games, youth clinics, meet-and-greets, live music, and food. These initiatives further enhance the excitement and engagement surrounding Big 12 basketball.
Will Smith's Rooftop Basketball: A Game-Changing Moment
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Recruiting pipelines
The addition of new teams to the Big 12 has also helped to strengthen the conference's recruiting pipelines. For example, the inclusion of teams like BYU has brought in competitive programs with strong recruiting networks of their own. The expansion of the conference has also allowed for the continuation of heavy recruiting in certain regions, such as SoCal, as mentioned in the example of adding UNM and SDSU to the conference.
The Big 12 has also maximized creative sponsorships and utilized the era of Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) payments to student-athletes, which has likely played a role in attracting top talent to the conference. The conference has a strong reputation for being physically tough, and this, combined with its high level of competition, attracts the best recruits.
The depth of the conference is notable, with eight or nine teams out of ten playing at a high level in recent years. This depth means that wins are hard-fought and meaningful, which can be an attractive prospect for ambitious recruits.
The Big 12 has also shown an ability to adapt and innovate, as seen with the "Big 12 Hoops in the Park" initiative, which included men's and women's summer exhibition games and a range of community engagement activities. This demonstrates the conference's willingness to explore new avenues to promote their sports and engage with potential recruits and fans.
Explosive Footwork: Quick Steps to Basketball Success
You may want to see also
Explore related products
New rivalries
The Big 12 Conference has long been considered the best basketball conference in the country, with a reputation for being the most physical conference. The conference has consistently performed well in the NCAA basketball tournament, and its teams have earned significant revenue from postseason play.
The addition of new teams to the Big 12 Conference has brought about the potential for new rivalries to emerge. For example, with the inclusion of Utah, there is the potential for a rivalry with BYU, which is just one state over. Additionally, Utah and BYU were both perennial top 25 teams, and Utah is joining with two straight PAC titles under its belt. The addition of these competitive teams will likely boost the conference's metrics and overall performance.
Another potential rivalry could be between Arizona and UNM. If the Big 12 were to add UNM, it would bring back an old rivalry for Arizona and allow for continued recruitment in SoCal. Furthermore, SDSU and UNM already have a rivalry in basketball, so this could add fuel to the fire.
The inclusion of Stanford and Cal is highly unlikely, as they are expected to remain independent in football or join the Big Ten. However, if they were to join the Big 12, it could create new rivalries, especially considering Stanford's strong basketball program.
The expansion of the Big 12 Conference to 16 teams has created a lot of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season. With a mix of established powers and rising contenders, the conference is expected to be highly competitive and provide many exciting matchups. The depth of talent across the conference will likely lead to some unexpected results and the formation of new rivalries as teams battle for supremacy.
When Does the Basketball Season Start?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Big 12 has been considered the best basketball conference in men's college basketball by ESPN and the New York Times. It has the highest average rating using the Men's College Basketball Power Index (BPI) of any conference. However, some sources disagree, citing Baylor's embarrassing loss to Gonzaga as a blow to the Big 12's reputation.
The Big 12 has a reputation for being the most physical conference in the country. It also has a high level of depth, with eight or nine teams in the 10-team conference playing at a high level. The Big 12 also generates significant revenue from postseason play, media rights contracts, merchandise, and licensing.
Notable teams in the Big 12 Conference include Texas, Kansas, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, and Texas Tech.
The Big 12 Conference has performed well in the NCAA basketball tournament. In the 2024 tournament, conference teams earned 15 units (worth $30 million), and in the 2025 tournament, they earned 20 units (worth $40 million).
