Since 2020, there has been a new Big 12 football champion each year. The conference has been a complete wildcard as of late. Arizona State won the Big 12 two seasons ago after being projected as one of the worst teams in the conference. A team like Oklahoma State reached the title game in 2023, then finished 0-9 in conference play and fired its longtime head coach and former alumnus, Mike Gundy.

Big 12 Is Wide Open

Clear your calendars. We'll see you in the fall 😼 pic.twitter.com/pblSg2pOnO

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) January 21, 2026

How NIL has been operating in today’s college landscape, it just takes one donor to change a program. Outside of the past two seasons, Texas Tech has not been relevant in the conference since the 2000s. The program gets a massive NIL package and immediately wins a Big 12 championship.

The unpredictability is what makes this conference so fun.…