Sam Leavitt Opens Up On Parity in Big 12

Arizona state is seeking to become the only program to repeat as champions outside of Oklahoma.

Oct 18, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The general perception around the Big 12 conference in recent seasons has been that parity is at an all-time high - especially due to the departure of Oklahoma and Texas. The Arizona State Sun Devils are looking to buck the trend of the conference crowning a new champion every single season since 2021 in this campaign.

Although Arizona State has a fairly clear path to getting back to securing a conference crown, it won't necessarily come easy - that was apparant when the team suffered a 42-10 loss to the Utah Utes on October 11.

Quarterback Sam Leavitt spoke on the overall parity, uncertainty, and tightly contested football that is played in the league during his media availability on Tuesday.

"Yeah, I mean a bunch of people say that any week, any game can be a major upset and that's really true. I didn't think last week was an upset by any means, but it's just pretty crazy - the margins, the little things that matter, fourth and third-down conversions, all the sequencing, turnovers..."

This notion can be backed up incredibly well - Arizona State on SI takes a look at just how competitive the Big 12 is below.

Arizona State Seeking to Curb Big 12 Parity

• The Arizona State-Texas Tech and Brigham Young-Utah battles were nail-biting games in both directions in what may be the four best teams in the league. Texas Tech was postured as the runaway favorite in the conference, but dropped a game against the defending champions. Utah is now at two conference losses, but still have a fighting chance to reach the title game.

• Cincinnati has emerged from being viewed as a lower-tier team to becoming a legitimate contender in just a few weeks. Brendan Sorsby has fully broke out as a star - throwing just one interception all season in the opening game.

• Houston and Iowa State are still looming large as sleepers in the conference behind gritty performances in victories and rostering quarterbacks that have generally played well when it counts. These are the next two Arizona State opponents - making it another opportunity to buck the trend of parity running the Big 12.

• Even teams like Kansas State are experiencing a resurgence - as the Wildcats have defeated TCU and UCF in conference play following a rough start to the year.

Arizona State and Houston are set to play at 5 P.M. AZT on Saturday evening from Mountain America Stadium.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on three major takeaways from the win over Texas Tech here.

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