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The Big 12 Conference

By Matt Shetler

 

The Big 12 Conference consists of twelve schools located in the central United States.  One of the newer conferences in the nation, the Big 12 was formed in 1994.  The former Big Eight Conference merged with the four Texas schools, which were former members of the Southwest Conference, which disbanded.  The headquarters for the Big 12 are located in Irving, Texas and the commissioner of the conference is Dan Beebe, a post he assumed in 2007.
   
Despite the fact that all eight Big 8 members are still in the Big 12, the conference does not acknowledge any history of the former Big 8.  The Big 12 competes in twenty-one NCAA Division I sports and is one of the most successful conferences in the nation.
  
For football, the Big 12 divides its teams into two divisions (North and South) and the winners of the two divisions play for the Big 12 Championship at the end of the season.
  
The Big 12 is a member of the BCS and has ties to nine bowl games.  The conference sends team to: the Fiesta, Cotton, Holiday, Gator, Alamo, Sun, Insight, Independence and Texas Bowls.
  
Top to bottom, the Big 12 features some of the best rivalries in the history of the NCAA.  The Kansas-Missouri game, known as The Border War, has been played 116 times as of 2008.  Other well known rivalries include:  Texas-Texas A&M, Oklahoma-Texas (known as The Red River Rivalry), and Oklahoma-Nebraska.
   
The Big 12 is also a major power in basketball as well as baseball.  As of 2008, Big 12 teams have won seven men’s basketball titles, with Kansas capturing the most recent in 2008.  Teams from the conference have won ten baseball titles to go along with eighteen championships on the gridiron.  The University of Texas won the conferences last title in each sport, winning both in 2005.

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