The History of the Big 12 Conference: College Sports' Flyover Country
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Next week, the Big 12 conference will be adding four new colleges to their ranks: Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Houston, and Central Florida. These additions were spurred by the impending exits of the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas, each headed for the SEC. Realignment and moving parts have long plagued the Big 12, who has received a majority of realignment press since realignment really became a thing of interest in the early 90s. Each of their largest brands has left the conference for larger media contracts in conferences like the Big Ten or SEC, but the Big 12 is still here.
Despite the conference having been organized officially in 1996, the Big 12 itself has a long and storied history that stretches far further than a football game between Texas Tech and Kansas State. The Big 8, and the MVIAA before it, was a very strong athletic conference that dared to create titans in the cornfields of Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. And Colorado, if you count Boulder as farm country (which you shouldn't).
But college sports are driven by college football, which means NCAA realignment is driven by college football.
So as the central-midwestern roots of the Big 12 melt into the Appalachians, the Atlantic, the Ohio River, and the Great Salt Lake, take a moment to remember what the conference used to be. This video intends to do just that.
It’s nit picky but Louisville is in the eastern time zone too lol. Great vid tho!
Exactly.
It's not nit picky in the least.
Go wildcats!
I'm not about to redo this entire video lol.
Welcome back, Colorado. We left the light on for you.
Fucking love it, also not confirmed news but heavy rumored, Washington and Oregon are in talks with Brett Yormark. Brett also wants 16 teams in total so one of the 4 corners that’s not Utah will also probably join
And now the other 4 corners schools to join lol
Redo it to fix the parts where the voice track crackles. Maybe wait until the rest of this realignment season is over...
College football history is so interesting and over looked by the casual fan
I absolutely agree
The casual fans are breaking down the traditions that make it interesting. The traditions, rivalries, and the regions.
It truly is… I’ve been diving deeper into it lately.
This is a dope take off history of football. Doing this for all conferences would be dope.
Exactly what I was about to comment lol
I would’ve described it as sick, but dope also works, I reckon. I’ll just say it’s dope sick.
There is one for the ACC
He finally did
8 days ago?
The Big 12 has not faded away!
I still very much like the video.
I'm a Longhorns fan, and i'll be watching them in the SEC, but I grew up watching the Big 12. I still plan to watch the remaining schools play because I still love the Big 12. I love hearing that they are not giving up and wantt to bring in additional schools.
Same as a oklahoma feller.
This was a great video. This was one of the best conferences in the nation in the 2000s. I always think how good they could have been if you had the original 12 plus TCU & Arkansas.
Louisville and Arkansas.
Colorado
Nebraska
Iowa
Missouri
Kansas
Kansas State
Louisville
Arkansas
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma
Texas A&M
Texas
That's my BIG 12. I don't like more than 2 Universities from a state. Baylor and Texas Tech were just leeches on the Texas' schools. Louisville should've been added in 2011. Not WVU or TCU.
Perception is not necessarily reality.
Watching this after all the recent realignment news. The big 12s story is so powerful and I’m very glad that the conference seems stable for the first time in years! I only hope that we can get a couple of the great rivalries back into the conference in the future.
While the new Big 12 with Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah works together and saved the conference, I still think we would all love to have the old Big 12 back
As a WVU alum and fan, it's surreal to be doing this again. However, this is the first time there's a sense of optimism rather than dread. It'd be splendid to witness Pitt AND Louisville come groveling back.
Eh... they don't need to grovel... If Pitt and Louisville wanted in the Big12 we should welcome them with open arms. Big12 should have brought in Louisville and Pitt (along with TCU) back when WVU was added to the conference.
Here day of ASU vs ISU. History will be made today.
This is awesome!!! Love the history of these conferences and would love to see more. Great work.
Probably one of the best college football history videos on the site. We have so many great channels that cover other sports history well but cfb just seems to be lacking and never know why. Definitely make more
A great video, fun fact with New Mexico is they were invited to the big 12 along with BYU in 1997 but turned it downed to stay in the WAC that they founded. Big 12 has the name Big 14 trademarked still hence one of the reasons the big 10 never changed its name outside of branding
I knew about that! There was a newspaper article I sourced that stated that the only way the Big 12 would have expanded that early (they'd have by far been the largest "power" conference at the time) was if they had BYU and another school as big as BYU-or "two BYUs" as they put it. Reading between the lines here, it's clear they thought of UNM that way
@@lukeontheplainsIt’s a shame TCU was not as competitive in the mid to late 90s as they were in late 2000s, they almost certainly would have got in with BYU. Man that would have been a great conference with BYU as a west coast power coming off that title in the 80s.
I don’t think Texas ever signed off on New Mexico. NM was more of an interesting diversion, but never got the highest approval.
If NM had truly been offered into the B12, I feel certain acceptance would have come immediately, along with Dionysian celebrations.
This was such a fantastic video. Please make more college football videos - we really need more like this for CFB.
You wonder if this could happen with the mountain west and pac 12.
This is great work! Would love to see more documentaries about CFB like this that aren’t so sensationalized. Thank you!!
Great video. Really puts into perspective that there was never a huge period of time with NO realignment. We feel like everything is changing, but they’ve always been changing, but cfb never stopped being great. We’re gonna be ok 👍🏾.
GREAT VIDEO. This is the Type Of Content I Have Been Needing In my Life.
I had 3 of the Hardee's SEC basketballs! Thanks for that blast from the past... That was awesome. I'm 35 but I remember being about 10 to 12 years old playing with my Hardee's SEC basketballs.
I had that Big 8 Hardee's basketball!
one of the better vids on this site. please make all conferences and just great job!
I actually think the move for automatic bids for power 5 conference champs was a brilliant move by the NCAA from the perspective of trying to keep the power 5 alive. It gives a strong incentive for a school that’s currently not that big a fish in a big pond, like A&M or Florida, to find a home in one of the less competitive conference like the Big 12 or the ACC. Winning a weaker power 5 likely would prove more lucrative with the national televised game and higher enrollment that I assume without looking into it that winning national titles brings. It remains to be seen if it will play out like this of course
Firstly, great job and excellent execution.
I know the world revolves around money but if OU and Texas had any type of leadership, they would’ve went to the Big XII and poached PAC-12 schools and added the four they did.
I think trying to create the first “super conference “ of 20 schools would’ve been very successful.
20 schools broken up into divisions that make sense geographically. This not only helps travel but would also create long lasting rivalries moving forward.
West: Oregon, Washington, BYU, Utah, Colorado
South: Texas, Tech, TCU, Baylor, Houston
North: OU, oSu, K-state, Kansas, Iowa State
East: Cincinnati, UCF, WVU, Pitt, Louisville
Everyone within the division plays each other and 7 conference non-divisional games (11 games)
Divisional winners play (4 teams) and winners go to a conference championship (more like basketball).
I find that to be entertaining and the rotation between playing out of division opponents keeps the games fresh and new for fans while playing division games would create some awesome rivalries.
Unfortunately, it’s just the same old 💩 moving forward.
Well written, but assuming you're doing 12 game season, you're losing a lot with having only 1 non conference game. I think 9 conference games is the max you can do, cuz you gotta have at least 3 non-con games of 3 basic types. 1) Out of conference rivals (self explanatory why you need that one) 2) Marquis Matchups (when you're school is hot, other big schools are gonna come calling to schedule big time matchups) and 3) Cupcake Games (You can hate on cupcake games until your team is horrible and then you know how important it is for everybody involved to just not go winless, or for perennially horrible teams like Kansas or Vandy those magic years where you pull a few upsets you NEED those cupcake games as margin of error to get you into a bowl game. Last year's 3OT thriller Liberty Bowl would NOT happen if it werent for Tennessee Tech giving Kansas a win.
@@chandler2the point being they would be creating a powerful league that could rival the sec and end up making more possibly
This video is super well done. As an Oklahoma fan, I’m glad to be leaving but I grew up on Big 12 sports so there’s always love in my heart. Only thing I hate is that this upcoming season is the last for Bedlam
As someone whose about to be an incoming freshman to ou (there’s only ☝🏼⭕️ lol) I’m sad that the rivalry is ending, but I have a feeling that the game is gonna be electric especially with the edition of any of the other match-ups in other sports, but the rivalry still goes hard even if it’s one sided or people see a bigger competition with Texas.. 🤷♀️
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out to SEC mediocrity
@@lukem5477awwwwww is wittle baby gonna cry because his team wasn’t invited? 🥺🥺
Why would you be glad to be leaving lol? Your going to lose a ton in the sec. You were better off in the big 12 cause you could actually make a play off then
@@asics1149why would anyone willingly want to go to the sec 🤣🤣 bama and Georgia own it. Even Ohio state would get swamped in the conference and OU is no where near them…. Get read for major mediocrity lol
Super high quality and in depth, would love if you could do this for other conferences
Brett will take this conference to another level
This channel is so underrated
Fantastic! More of this style 🙏🏻🙏🏻
With the news of Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah joining now, I think we are going to see a new super conference be made.
Dude you've got the voice and style to make some really awesome college football history videos. I hope that you keep posting, and I selfishly hope that you spend more time on historic college football games/seasons/dynasties
I was so surprised you are such a small channel. Such great content. Love your content from deep in the SEC territory in Bama
So much for the Big 12 being on life support
"Small victories may be the only thing the Big XII can win in the long run." That statement did not age well.
I know it seems like it in the moment, but I truly believe we're headed for a Power 2 and everybody else gets significantly pushed out of the TV market. In that lens, even adding the 4 corners and killing the PAC is a small victory. That may just be me being a pessimist though.
@@lukeontheplains Honestly quit fucking coping lilbro. It's gonna be a power 3. SEC B1G and BIG XII
@@lukeontheplainsno lol the big 12 is the biggest conference next year with the amount of teams they’ll have
It's been 1 year, it hasn't had enough time to age
This was really good, great job
I am an Iowa State fan and alum, and at heart a die hard Big 8 guy (despite only being turning 8 myself in October 1996).
This was a great video, very well done, and even brought a slight tear to my eye reminiscing about the original Big XII, and by extension the Big 8.
Despite the Big XII officially not considering the Big 8 part of it's history, as far as I am concerned, the Big 6/7/8 and XII are one and the same.
I am SO pumped for the new Big XII as not only is it now the top basketball conference, but there will be so much parity in football now.
Just based on recent the recent histories going back the last decade or so, ANYONE could win it in football any given year (Hell, even Kansas if Leipold sticks around long term).
I really hope Colorado comes back so we can then have 4 of the 6 original North schools again (not mention Big 8 member), but despite the circumatances under which they left (they wanted to be like the popular kids and try to fit in with everyone else), I would even welcome Missouri back as well.
Nebraska can rot in hell though. Fuck them.
Big 8 Forever!!
Edit: After seeing the part where Mizzou, KU, OU, and CU were looking elsewhere, I suppose it was simply a matter of time and fate that CU went to the Pac-12 (I still want them back though).
It was no secret that Mizzou wanted to join the Big Ten a decade ago, but I never knew they wanted to join as far back as 30 years ago.
Maybe I don't want Mizzou back anymore....
Good news my Friend, as of today Colorado has rejoined the Big 12
As far as I am concerned BigXII's history goes to 1907 just under a different name... Same can be said for the PAC or BigTen.. or SEC..
Big8 was great. So was the original Big12... that said we can't change the past and it's looking better than I could have expected since OU and UT left..
Big 12 in the late 90's and early 2000's was a bad ass conference, arguably the toughest one during that time, before the SEC blew up.
Thank you for teaching me about Jack Trice. I had no idea!
Except he wasn't "murdered in the game" he was trampled in the game after going to the ground on a block, sent to the hospital, released, and died 2 days later from internal injuries
That commercial for Big 8 basketballs takes me back. Everyone growing up had those basketballs. Simpler times.
I would rather be a "fly-over conference" than a dead-end conference on the coast.
You can thank UT and the Longhorn Network as to the reason for the fall of the Big 12, just like they had a heavy hand in the fall of the SWC
Also A&M never had plans to move to the Pac-12. There is a long history of A&M trying to get to the SEC that goes back to the end of the SWC.
Agree 100%. Texas is the reason the big 12 fell
@patrickwilson1834 Except, the Big 12 will be just fine, maybe better without Texas.
@@davidlemons5650The big 12 went from being on thin ice to saving itself by gobbling up all of the pac 12 schools.
@@davidlemons5650 we will see and fine out. Ill give it 5 years
So Texas should have just said no to all that money? If any other school was in the position they’re taking it
Great editing and commentary!
Awesome video. Love how you used historic logos as time progressed
You nailed it! Very well done.
This was great dude- keep it up.
First time seeing this channel. Great vid
NCAA should of done a better job to make things fair. As a kstate fan I will always love the wildcats even if they are playing ucf instead of Oklahoma. I miss Nebraska and Mizzou (relish that they are so mediocre now). As I live in big ten country. I get the opposite. My Illini playing ucla in basketball is going to be dope. But weird
I've been a huge Nebraska fan my whole life. I remember the Big 12 fondly but Texass ruined the conference. They treated it like a fiefdom and forced the conference to appeas them. We had to get out. I remember clearly the big fear was being left behind if the conference fell apart. Also, to not mention the 2009 Big 12 conference championship game where the refs pit a second back on the clock to give Texass the win, I think that game solidified anti Big 12 sentiment in the fanbase. It did for me at least
Hit the nail on the head. Worst thing the Big 8 did was assume Texas would stay as equals with everyone else. I'm glad Mizzou was able to get out, even if we have to take the most flack from old and new conferences
@adamg5193 as UGA man, Missouri is always the game I worry about the most.
There was a second left in that game. Texas did ruin the conference though
I blame Nebraska for the collapse of the Big 12 as a powerhouse conference! It was the Huskers' departure for the Big 10 that led other teams to abandon the conference (Colorado, Missouri & Texas A&M). With Oklahoma and Texas now moving on to the SEC; what was once a powerhouse, will soon be irrelevant. How long before it goes the way of the Southwest Conference and the PAC 12???
I wish Nebraska came back as an ISU fan. You guys made it interesting. So did Mizzou
Great video
Great video, so interesting to continue to learn about the new conference. UCF has been a team with no clear path ahead of it and the odds stacked against it, but we continue to fight for every opportunity. We are a young program with a ferocious fanbase, a solid foundation, great recruitment potential, and a dream to be big. Although the future is unsure, I have great confidence in what's being built in the BIG 12
Ferocious is one way to describe it, annoying and unearned is another. I didn't mind any of the new schools coming in except UCF and it's strictly because of their fans. I've never seen a fanbase of a team become so cocky and so loud while at the same time accomplishing nothing and making up championships. I mean if Oklahoma counted every #1 poll ranking as a championship they would have 17 claimed national championships. But they only claim 7 that they won outright. OU could exaggerate their titles too but they actually have them, so they don't feel the need to fabricate anything. Y'all act like no one knows who you are.....but we do.....we just don't care.
Central Florida should not be playing Kansas, god I fucking hate this
Great video. History is important.
Great documentary. I really enjoyed it.
Your videos are truly amazing. Keep up the stellar work!
Awesome video! I love college sports
Great video! Next can you make one about the big East or what’s going on in the ACC
Awesome job on this video!
This is fantastic, would love to see it for the other conferences as realignment has killed much of the regionality of other conferences as well.
Loving these conference deep dives!
Awesome Video
Great work!
As an Utah fan and alum, I’m stoked to join the Big12 and regret the hostility engendered between fanbases because of TV deal positioning. Should be a great cultural fit, and the rivalry of BYU and Utah will add tv viewers for sure.
Love these videos bro you have to keep pumping em out
Great video!
The Big 12 has won two of the last three men's basketball championships
Well done! Great video
Great video, I love the hateful 8
Big 12 ✊🏻
I miss the southern plains conference. It was a source of pride that at least during football, basketball, and wrestling, they had to respect the middle of the country.
Love these videos. Keep up the great content. Very informative and entertaining 💯
Love the video, just want to add a few things. First, as of today it has been confirmed that Colorado is coming back, as well as San Diego state can’t join until 2 years from now with a 30 some million buyout. 2 with Colorado gone and USC and UCLA looking towards other places, Big 12 is in talks with Oregon and Washington. 3 Brett Yormark is looking to separate the media deals with basketball and Football, if this happens, most teams will be more valued on their basketball programs, meaning a lot more money in the conference
Please make this a series
fantastic video
Well done
I still have that Big 8 basketball from Hardee's in our garage
Texas is the reason why realignment started and media rights greed started in the first place. If they hadn’t been offered or accepted the longhorn network by ESPN, regionalism would still be prominent.
We (the fans) would all be happier if college sports went back to geographically based conferences of 8-12 teams.
Guess whos back
I disagree with the beginning of this video if you take out brands and just look at what the big 12 has done athletically the last 4 years it’s a conference on the rise.
Basketball:
Baylor 2021 champs
Kansas 2022 champs
Football:
Baylor sugar bowl win
Cincinnati playoff appearance
TCU playoff win ( over Michigan)
Football Playoff Appearances, 1st Rd Wins, Nattys (per Wiki 2015-2023)
ACC: 9-4-2 (includes ND)
B12: 4-1-0 (Includes OK but not CINCY, w/o OK but with CINCY 2-1-0)
B1G: 8-2-1
PAC: 2-1-0
Final Four Appearances, 1st Rd Wins, Nattys (per Wiki 2015-2023. 2020 N/A)
ACC: 8-5-3
B12: 5-4-2 (includes OK but not HOUSTON, w/o OK but with HOUSTON 5-4-2)
BIGEAST: 5-3-3
Final Four Appearances, 1st Rd Wins, Nattys (per Wiki 1985-2023, 2020 N/A)
ACC: 38-22-12 (includes L'VILLE & CUSE, not MD)
B12: 21-09-04 (includes OK, CINCY & HOUSTON)
BIG 12 is a awesome basketball conference and honestly, I'll take it!
Dude…you literally left out Texas Tech getting to the national title game in basketball in 2019
@@Luigiman_95and an awesome football conference lol they made it the CFP and got 2nd to Georgia.
Dude, this rocks. Do all the conferences. I saw the PAC history then this one, but you have this down.
dope video!!
Should add a short update for this video.. just mention that UA, ASU, CU and Utah are joining the XII
I’m glad my Buffs are coming home. Never should have left the Big 12!
Cincinnati and Louisville are in the Eastern time zone. Great video though! Hope you do ones for the B1G and SEC
I swear to god if UConn goes to the Big 12 I'll never forgive them. Going back to the Big East (who welcomed them back with open arms) was a huge part of why they won the title this past year. Leaving this soon after rejoining because of a few mediocre football seasons at the independent level; I can't think of a bigger middle finger to the Big East than that. If they go to the Big 12, that'll castrate their recruiting pipeline and fan interest since their nearest opponents will be literally hundreds of miles away. We saw what happened when they joined the AAC. All for money and a football dream that is just never going to come true.
Great video for sure, that music is damn loud tho 😂😂
Great video! However, the timeline of Nebraskas exit is slightly off. The six teams flirting with the PAC10 was going on before NU left for the Big10. In fact, that flirtation was pretty much the final straw for NU athletics.
Yup. I remember that well. There were huge fears that the conference would fall apart and we'd be left behind. That along with the huge anti XII sentiment crested by the 2009 conference championship sealed the deal
Hi, Lucas! First of all, congratulations on your excellent video of the History of the Big 12 Conference. As a sports history buff, I'm very impressed with the excellent job you've done. I was wondering if you're planning on doing a video about the Big East Conference, the one that existed from 1979-2013. Let me know if you are, because I'm curious on what your take is, including the part when Joe Paterno wanted to originally take Penn State to the Big East back in the day. Anyway, I look forward to watching future videos from you in the future. Keep up the good work!
I am actually planning on doing one on the Big East sometime soon! Such an interesting conference with a complicated history. I haven't started the research or scriptwriting process, so I wasn't aware of the JoePa comments. Very interesting stuff.
danng bro you deserve more subs
Here after Colorado announced their return
I could see a future where major conferences like the Big 10 and XII do not stick to one particular region but have major colleges throughout the country. Whether it's USC vs Rutgers in the Big 10 or Arizona State vs Pitt in the Big XII. The only conference I couldn't see that happening in that could still thrive is the SEC.
Great video and who's here after the 4 corner school left the pac for the big xii
The music is louder than your narration. Makes it pretty tuff to follow along.
It was my first or second crack at making these essay style videos. Still kind of learning as I go along, but I'd like to think the balance has gotten better over time.
I just wonder how many conferences has TCU played in? BYU has been an Independent, in Mountain West, and I think the WAC! But TCU has been conference shopping for decades.
P.S. Great job! New Subscriber!
Just going to add some context on the Big 12s formation
So basically Texas wanted to go to the Pac 10 but they were getting nowhere and the SEC told A&M that it could not join all by itself. So both were back to square one. The idea of a merger was never seriously considered but what was, was a merger of the television rights. So both the Big 8 and SWC would sell their rights together, combine their television footprint, and then host a championship style game at the end of the season. They would also schedule OOC games between eachother. The Big 8 ultimately passed because they had no want for any Texas school outside of UT and A&M. So thats where things stood. After trying to go their own ways but getting nowhere, and after the Big 8 made it clear that they had no interest in a TV package, A&M and UT were going to join the Big 8 as the only two SWC members invited. Thats when shit hit the fan and it was a good time for Baylor and Tech to have influential state politicians. Those politicians, led by Bob Bullock, both threatened A&M and UT with budget cuts and also bribed them, A&M got the votes it needed to build Reed Arena, to tie themselves to both Baylor and Tech. And thats how Baylor and Tech got their spots
It was a shotgun wedding from the get go
I wish I had a Hardee’s big 8 basketball I bet that’s worth a decent amount these days
Me & my brother used to play street ball with one
The idea that the big 12 can never compete with the big 10 or SEC is crazy. Who's to say in 10 years Alabama will be a top team, or Michigan or any other team
Because those schools have had 100+ years head starts as major brands. It's sucks but with the media being how it is, they will always favor the bigger brands, which unfortunately is mainly centered in those 2 conference. The Big 12 and the ACC could probably dominate basketball, but the SEC will likely always own football.
@josephmelendez8370 The lack of parity is why CFB will never compete in ratings or $$$ with the NFL. At least, not without conference consolidation.
@@devilfrawg4953 no I agree, I long for the days where each region had their powers. But honestly once ESPN jumped completely into the SEC's bandwagon around 2006 the sport was screwed.
Rather sane actually. While a new big brand can arise (e.g, MIAMI), still relatively rare and likely much harder with the current revenue gap. Flagships and #2s in big states would have the best chance.
@@josephmelendez8370 to be fair, just look at Nebraska..all it takes is a few bad coaching hires in a row and Bama and Michigan can be just as bad as they are and become irrelevant nationally
I think as a Utah fan I should learn about my new conference next year
13:16 love the dead Mustang. 😂
With the fall of the PAC 12. It looks like they’re a powerhouse again.
I disagree with the conference being on life support, argubably the best basketball conference in college with 2 national champions in the last 3 years