Big 12 Could Take Home Third National Championship in Five Seasons

Among the best conferences in the country, the Big 12 could stake its claim at the top again.

Mar 30, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson holds the trophy on stage after defeating the Tennessee Volunteers during the Midwest Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Big 12 has been one of the country’s most dominant men’s basketball conferences, and it could soon remind the world.

On Sunday, Houston won its Elite Eight game against Tennessee to advance to the Final Four. In its second season in the Big 12, Houston has clearly been a great addition to the conference and is on the verge of putting the league back on top of the college basketball world.

While the past two seasons were dominated by a couple of seemingly unbeatable UConn teams, the focus this season shifted to the SEC. Seemingly overtaking the Big 12 as the top conference in the country, the SEC was seen as an overpowering conference.

The Final Four aids that take with two SEC teams making it, along with one team from the Big 12 and ACC. Houston will face Duke, which has been the best team in the country for most of the season, and a win would put it only a win away from the national title.

If the Cougars can pull off the upset against the Blue Devils and beat either Florida or Auburn, they will become the third Big 12 team in the past five seasons to win it all. 

In 2021, Baylor crashed Gonzaga’s party in the national championship to take home the trophy in a semi-bubble. A year later, Bill Self and Kansas won it all to give the conference back-to-back national titles.

Although Oklahoma State has had problems of its own throughout this period, consistently matching up against championship-caliber programs has at least a little to do with its struggles. While Steve Lutz has done a solid job in his first season, adding a national championship to the Big 12 would make the road tougher for the Cowboys but also might aid their chances of making the NCAA Tournament if the conference’s perception can rise again.

Under Kelvin Sampson, Houston has consistently been among the best teams in the nation. After years of shortcomings in the NCAA Tournament, 2025 could finally be the year the Cougars reign supreme and add another title to the Big 12’s collection.

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