College Football is set to kick off this weekend, so it is a good time to look at some of the past results of the Big 12 conference.
With the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners leaving that is seven out of the last nine champions gone. Let’s take a look at some of the history of the Big 12 champion.
There will be a new champion in 2024. Texas won the conference a season ago. They finished with a Sugar Bowl loss under head coach Steve Sarkisian. Five out of the last seven Big 12 champions have lost in their bowl game.
It was the first Big 12 title for the Texas Longhorns since 2009. Since 1999 when the Texas Longhorns won the Big 12 title for the first time in its existence, 21 of the conference winners are no longer in the league.
It would be easier to name those that are still around:
- 2022 Kansas State Wildcats
- 2021 Baylor Bears
- 2014 TCU Horned Frogs and Baylor Bears
- 2013 Baylor Bears
- 2012 Kansas State Wildcats (tied with Oklahoma)
- 2011 Oklahoma State Cowboys
- 2003 Kansas State Wildcats
- 2001 Colorado Buffaloes
There are other programs, like Nebraska and Texas A&M that won it in the last 28 seasons that are also gone from the Big 12.
The Sooners and Longhorns have won 18 of the titles, while Nebraska and Texas A&M have a combined three. That leaves just 9 titles to the teams still in the Big 12.
Baylor and Kansas State lead with three. Of course, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah are not on this list, as they have never been part of the Big 12 before.
That leaves the 2024 season with just Dave Aranda of the Baylor Bears, Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State, and Chris Klieman of Kansas State who have won the Big 12 title.
Who is going to be the next head coach and the next program to carve their name into the Big 12 record book?
We will find out starting Thursday.