Cowgirl Basketball Could Benefit From Wide-Open Big 12 in 2026-27

The Cowgirls could have a shot to stake their claim as the conference's best.

Feb 25, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Jacie Hoyt watches her team play the Iowa State Cyclones in the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State might have a chance to compete for the conference crown in a wide open Big 12 next season.

A couple of weeks ago, OSU women’s basketball saw its season come to an end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in a loss to eventual national champion UCLA. After beating Princeton in the first round to secure the first NCAA Tournament win of Jacie Hoyt’s tenure in Stillwater, the Cowgirls appeared to be headed in the right direction with some momentum going into the offseason.

Of course, that momentum has fallen apart a bit with most of OSU’s top contributors from last season on their way out through the transfer portal. While the Cowgirls will still have Stailee Heard on the roster next season, there is still plenty of work to be done in the portal this offseason.

Although it’s not necessarily ideal, this is simply the way college basketball is structured in this era, and it won’t be the first or last time Hoyt has had to build a roster from the ground up. While it won’t be easy for the Cowgirls to build some perfect roster to compete in the Big 12 next season, they still might have a solid chance at emerging as the conference’s top team.

In ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 for the 2026-27 season, Charlie Creme had zero Big 12 teams in his top 25, with Colorado being the lone honorable mention from the conference. Considering the Big 12’s lack of top-end talent over the past couple of years, it’s not surprising to see that it is the weakest power conference, but failing to field a single top 25 team in Creme’s rankings is a bit surprising.

Although there is a bit of shock to not have any Big 12 teams make the cut, it also shows that there is a clear opening for some team next season to go swoop in and take control of the conference. Considering Hoyt’s success throughout her time in Stillwater, there’s no reason why a revamped roster under her watch can’t be the Big 12’s next top dog.

Sure, a lot of things will have to go the Cowgirls’ way, and there will be plenty of competitors for the conference crown in such a wide-open conference, but OSU could be set up to make a run in 2027. Although there have been some setbacks already this offseason, the Cowgirls and Hoyt should be ready to build on their successful season as next year approaches.