The Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament: A Comprehensive History

The Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament, officially known as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament due to sponsorship agreements, is the annual championship tournament for men's basketball teams in the Big 12 Conference. This high-stakes event determines the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, adding immense importance to each game.

A Legacy of Dominance and Surprises

Since its inception in 1997, the Big 12 Tournament has been a stage for both predictable dominance and unexpected upsets. A notable trend from 2005 to 2019 saw only Iowa State or Kansas claiming the tournament title. These two powerhouses have collectively secured 18 of the 27 championships, underscoring their historical stronghold on the conference. The remaining current Big 12 schools have only managed to win six additional tournament titles, further emphasizing the disparity in tournament success.

For the first 23 years, a remarkable statistic held true: no school from outside the original Big Eight Conference had ever won the tournament. This speaks volumes about the historical roots and traditional power structures within the Big 12.

Tournament History and Key Moments

The tournament has been an annual fixture since the 1996-97 basketball season, following the Big 12's formation in 1996.

Venues and Locations

The tournament has a rich history of being held in Kansas City, Missouri. Kemper Arena served as the primary venue in early March from the tournament's inception until 2003, and again in 2005. Since 2010, the T-Mobile Center (formerly known as Sprint Center) in Kansas City has been the tournament's consistent home, with an agreement in place to continue hosting the event through 2031. Kansas City has hosted the tournament for 18 of its 26 years, including the canceled 2020 event.

Read also: Pope's NCAA Tournament Goals

Expansion and Newcomers

Initially a 12-team event, the Big 12 Tournament remained so through 2011. The departure of Colorado to the Pac-12 and Nebraska to the Big Ten marked a period of transition. The 2025 tournament marked the first season as a 14-team event, with the addition of BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, and Houston, signaling a new era for the conference.

Memorable Games and Upsets

The Big 12 Tournament has produced numerous unforgettable moments:

2017: TCU's Triumph: Jamie Dixon, in his first season at TCU, led the 8th-seeded Horned Frogs to an 85-82 victory over No. Fouled on a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds to go, Desmond Bane drained all three free throws to lift TCU to the win. The Horned Frogs closed the game on a 9-2 run in the final minute.
2016: Iowa State's Comeback: Behind 19 points from Niang, the Cyclones rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to down Kansas in the championship game.
2005: Oklahoma's Upset: Kansas clobbered the Big 12 in 2002, finishing 16-0 in league play. But Oklahoma prevented the Jayhawks from running to a flawless 19-0 run through the conference.
2002: Missouri's Cinderella Run: There was the David vs. Goliath angle, as the 10th-seed in the 12-team tournament made its way to the championship game to face the nation’s No. 1 team. The 10th-seed was Missouri. The top seed was Kansas. Missouri certainly had to like its chances. The Tigers handed Kansas its only loss of the regular season, beating KU 96-94 in double overtime on Feb. But there would be no repeating that feat.

The 2025 Tournament: Results and Highlights

The 2025 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament took place March 11-15 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. No. 1 seed Houston were favored by 6.5 points in the title game against Arizona, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

Here’s a look at the results and schedule for the 2025 Big 12 basketball Tournament.

Game 1 - No. 13 seed Cincinnati 87, No.
Game 2 - No. 16 seed Colorado 69, No.
Game 3 - No. 10 seed Kansas State 71, vs. No.
Game 4 - No. 14 seed UCF 87, No.
Game 5 - No. 5 seed Iowa State 76, No.
Game 6 - No. 16 seed Colorado 67, No.
Game 7 - No. 7 seed Baylor 70, No.
Game 8 - No. 6 seed Kansas 98, No.
Game 9 - No. 4 seed BYU 96, No.
Game 10 - No. 1 seed Houston 77, No.
Game 11 - No. 2 seed Texas Tech 76, No.
Game 12 - No. 3 seed Arizona 88, vs. No.
Game 13 - No. 1 seed Houston 74, No.
Game 14 - No. 3 seed Arizona 86, No.
Game 15 - No. 1 seed Houston 72, No.

Big 12 Teams in the NCAA Tournament

The Big 12 Conference consistently demonstrates its strength on the national stage through its representation in the NCAA Tournament. The stage is officially set for the 2025 NCAA tournament following the Selection Sunday reveal. The Big 12 has a handful of teams in the field for the Big Dance, coming in as the third-best represented conference in all of college basketball. No conference has as many teams in the March Madness field as the SEC, from which 14 of the conference's 16 teams got into the tournament. That means more than 20% of the field will be from the SEC.

Read also: The dominant UCLA Bruins in 1968

2025 NCAA Tournament Teams

The 2025 NCAA tournament will include seven Big 12 teams. That's slightly less than in 2024 when the conference sent eight teams to the big dance. Among the Big 12 teams in the field this year are Houston, Texas Tech, BYU, Arizona, Iowa State, Kansas and Baylor. It can certainly be argued that West Virginia was worthy of a spot in the tournament, but they were left on the outside looking in among the crop of bubble teams this year. With seven teams in the NCAA tournament, only the Big Ten (8) and SEC (14) are better represented than the Big 12. Last season, the Big 12 was tied with the SEC for the most teams in the tournament with eight.

The Big 12 teams selected for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, along with their region, seed, and conference regular season finish, are:

Houston (Midwest, 1): 19-1
Texas Tech (West, 3): 15-5
Iowa State (South, 3): 13-7
Arizona (East, 4): 14-6
BYU (East, 6): 14-6
Kansas (West, 7): 11-9
Baylor (East, 9): 10-10

Potential Matchups and Challenges

Despite earning a No. 1 seed, Houston could have some difficulty advancing to the Sweet Sixteen, with a potentially tough matchup awaiting in the round of 32, where they'll face either Georgia or Gonzaga. Both teams are formidable and figure to be anything but an easy task for the Cougars. Houston is also looking at potential showdowns against Purdue and Tennessee in their side of the bracket. Texas Tech could find themselves in position to make a deep run in the tournament, set to play UNC Wilmington followed by the winner of Missouri vs. Drake. Meanwhile, Iowa State could be in some trouble due to the injury sustained by Keshon Gilbert.

Historical Performance in the NCAA Tournament

The Big 12 has a strong track record in the NCAA Tournament. The last time a Big 12 team has won the NCAA tournament was in 2022 when the Kansas Jayhawks won it all. The conference had a winner in 2021, too, as Baylor won its lone national championship that season. Last year with eight representatives, the Big 12 won seven games in NCAA tournament play. In 2023, there were seven Big 12 teams in the fold and the conference won nine games in the Big Dance. The conference boasted an impressive 13-5 record in 2022 when Kansas won the national championship and the Big 12 went 11-6 in 2021 when Baylor became tournament winners. In total, the Big 12 has won five NCAA tournaments; 2008, 2021 and 2022, as well as in 1952 and 1988 when the conference was still called the Big 8.

Accounting for the recent shift in NCAA conferences in recent years, there have been nine tournament winners by teams that are currently in the Big 12, including 1944, 1945, 1946, 1952, 1988, 1997, 2008, 2021 and 2022.

Read also: "The Big Dance": A Deep Dive

Historical Success and Dominant Teams

Unsurprisingly, Kansas is the most successful program in tournament history, with 12 titles and an outstanding overall winning percentage. Though Kansas is the most successful program in the history of the tournament, beware of Iowa State when the Cyclones get rolling.

A Shift in Power?

While Kansas has historically dominated, other teams have had their moments of glory. Baylor's resurgence under coach Drew is a testament to the changing landscape of the Big 12. Drew, who took over in 2003 after one of the most toxic scandals in NCAA history, led the Bears to the NCAA Tournament in 2008. But that wasn’t a run. Drawing the 9-seed in the Big 12, the Bears beat Nebraska in the opening round and then upset top-seeded Kansas in the quarterfinals. Baylor made the NIT, where it lost to Penn State in the championship game. The following year, the Bears put what they learned to good use.

Early Years and Memorable Matchups

The early years of the Big 12 Tournament were marked by intense rivalries and memorable matchups. One such game was the 2002 Big 12 championship matchup when Eddie Sutton, with 778 career wins, led Oklahoma State back to the Big 12 championship game for the second straight season.

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