List of Big 12 Conference football champions explained

This is a list of yearly Big 12 Conference football champions. Champions are determined in a head to head matchup in the Big 12 Championship Game held at the end of the regular season. The game was played each year since the conference's formation in 1996 until 2010 and returned during the 2017 season. From 1996 to 2010 the championship game pitted the Big 12 North Division champion against the South Division champion in a game held after the regular season was completed.[1]

Between 2011 and 2016, the championship was earned in round-robin regular-season play among all conference members.[2] Until 2014, the league did not employ tiebreaking procedures, such as head-to-head results, to determine a single champion, and thus it was not unusual for a season to end with "co-champions." However with the 2015 season, head-to-head results will decide if two teams finish tied.[3]

From 2017 onward, the championship game features the two teams with the best conference records.[4] The champion usually is invited to the Sugar Bowl unless selected to play in one of the national semifinals for the College Football Playoff.[5] [6] Co-champions are listed in alphabetical order. Co-champions are no longer possible as the Big 12 Conference has switched to using a Conference Championship game to determine the winner.

Champions by year

Record Ranking
Year Champions[7] Conference Overall[8] AP Coaches' Bowl result Head coach
19966–2 8–5 No. 23 No. 23 John Mackovic
1997Nebraska 8−0 13−0 No. 2 No. 1 Tom Osborne
19987−1 11−3 No. 11 No. 13 R. C. Slocum
19997−1 12−1 No. 3 No. 2 Frank Solich
2000Oklahoma 8−0 13−0 No. 1 No. 1 Bob Stoops
20017−1 10−3 No. 9 No. 9 Gary Barnett
20026−2 12−2 No. 5 No. 5 Bob Stoops
20036−2 11−4 No. 14 No. 13 Bill Snyder
20048−0 12−1 No. 3 No. 3 Bob Stoops
2005Texas 8−0 13−0 No. 1 No. 1 Mack Brown
20067−1 11−3 No. 11 No. 11 Bob Stoops
20076−2 11−3 No. 8 No. 8 Bob Stoops
20087−1 12−2 No. 5 No. 5 Bob Stoops
20098−0 13−1 No. 2 No. 2 Mack Brown
20106−2 12−2 No. 6 No. 6 Bob Stoops
20118−1 12−1 No. 3 No. 3 Mike Gundy
20128−1 11−2 No. 12 No. 11 Bill Snyder
8−1 11−2 No. 15 No. 15 Bob Stoops
20138−1 11−2 No. 13 No. 13 Art Briles
20148−1 11−2 No. 7 No. 8 Art Briles
8−1 12−1 No. 3 No. 3 Gary Patterson
20158−1 11−2 No. 5 No. 5 Bob Stoops
20169−0 11−2 No. 5 No. 3 Bob Stoops
20178−1 12−2 No. 3 No. 3 Lincoln Riley
20188−1 12−2 No. 4No. 4Lincoln Riley
20198−1 12−2 No. 7 No. 6 Lincoln Riley
20206−2 8−2 No. 6No. 6Lincoln Riley
20217−2 12−2 No. 5No.6W Sugar Bowl 21-7 vs. Ole MissDave Aranda
20227−2 10−3 No. 14 No. 14 L Sugar Bowl 45-20 vs. AlabamaChris Klieman
20238−1 12−1 No. 3 No. 4т Steve Sarkisian

Bold indicates a national championship.

Championships by team

Team Big 12
Championships
Years
Oklahoma142000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Texas41996, 2005, 2009, 2023
Baylor3 2013, 2014, 2021
Kansas State3 2003, 2012, 2022
Nebraska2 1997, 1999
Colorado1 2001
Oklahoma State1 2011
TCU1 2014
Texas A&M1 1998
BYU0
Cincinnati0
Houston0
Iowa State0
Kansas0
Missouri0
Texas Tech0
UCF0
West Virginia0
Italics indicate a shared title.
* indicates a school no longer competing in the Big 12.

Big 12 Championship Game

See main article: Big 12 Championship Game. Since 2017, the championship game has determined the conference champion. The game features the two teams with the best conference records. From the inaugural championship game in 1996 to 2010 the championship game pitted the Big 12 North Division champion against the South Division champion in a game held after the regular season was completed. From 2011 to 2016, a round-robin would determine the champion.

YearNorth DivisionSouth Division
199627Texas 37
1997 Nebraska 5415
199833 Texas A&M 36
1999 Nebraska 226
200024 Oklahoma 27
2001 Colorado 3937
20027 Oklahoma 29
2003 Kansas State 357
20043 Oklahoma 42
20053 Texas 70
20067 Oklahoma 21
200717 Oklahoma 38
200821 Oklahoma 62
200912 Texas 13
201020 Oklahoma 23
YearNo. 1 SeedNo. 2 Seed
2017 Oklahoma 4117
2018 Oklahoma 3927
2019 Oklahoma 3023
202021 Oklahoma 27
202116 Baylor 21
202228 Kansas State 31
2023 Texas 4921

Championships by head coach

Head Coach School Big 12
Championships
Bob StoopsOklahoma10 [9]
Lincoln RileyOklahoma4 [10]
Art BrilesBaylor2 [11] [12]
Bill SnyderKansas State2 [13]
Mack BrownTexas2 [14]
Steve SarkisianTexas1
Dave ArandaBaylor1
Frank SolichNebraska1 [15]
Gary BarnettColorado1 [16]
Gary PattersonTCU1 [17]
John MackovicTexas1 [18]
Mike GundyOklahoma State1 [19]
R. C. SlocumTexas A&M1 [20]
Tom OsborneNebraska1 [21]
Chris KliemanKansas State1
Active coaches are in bold

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Staying at 10, Big 12 now has to decide divisions _ or not. Associated Press. 19 October 2016.
  2. Web site: Big 12 releases 2011 Football Schedules and Future Scheduling Format. 30 September 2010.
  3. Web site: Big 12 will actually have 'One True Champion' with new tiebreakers. 6 May 2015 .
  4. Web site: WVSports - What is WVU's path to the Big 12 title game?. 26 November 2020 .
  5. Web site: 2020-01-31 . Big 12 Bowl Ties, Affiliations 2020-2021 . 2020-12-02 . College Football News . en-US.
  6. Web site: Kelley . Kevin . 2019-06-04 . Big 12 announces bowl lineup through 2025 . 2020-12-02 . FBSchedules.com . en-US.
  7. Web site: December 21, 2016 . College Football Poll.com . 2020-12-02 . www.collegefootballpoll.com . en.
  8. Web site: All-Time Big 12 Standings/Bowl Games.
  9. Web site: Vardeman . Brady . 2017-06-07 . 5 highlights of Bob Stoops' tenure at Oklahoma, from a national title to Big 12-SEC smack talk . 2020-11-29.
  10. Web site: Shradar . Kristopher . 2020-11-13 . Falcons Head Coach Search: Lincoln Riley . 2020-11-29 . SportsTalkATL.com . en-US.
  11. Web site: Whatever Happened to Controversial Baylor Football Coach Art Briles?. 10 July 2020.
  12. Web site: Art Briles, who was fired amid a sexual assault scandal at Baylor, has been hired to lead an East Texas high school football program. Chicago Tribune. 25 May 2019 .
  13. Web site: Boatright . Jason . 2020-12-02 . A look at Bill Snyder's record in his 27 years of coaching at K-State . 2020-12-02 . kansascity.com.
  14. Web site: Davis . Brian . December 13, 2013 . Texas' Mack Brown resigns after 16 seasons as Longhorns head coach . 2020-12-02 . Austin American-Statesman . en.
  15. Web site: Ohio U's Frank Solich, a Holy Name High School alum, becomes winningest football coach in MAC history . 2020-12-02 . wkyc.com . 20 November 2019 . en-US.
  16. Web site: 2005-12-08 . Barnett out as coach of Colorado . 2020-12-02 . ESPN.com . en.
  17. Web site: TCU's Gary Patterson: Playoff should be six teams, no league title games. 13 February 2015 .
  18. News: Texas's Gutsy Play Ends Title Hopes for Nebraska. The New York Times. 8 December 1996.
  19. Web site: The BCS Title Game Cost Oklahoma State's Coach A $500,000 Bonus. Business Insider.
  20. Web site: Cowan . Jim . Texas A&M: If They Only Knew...The Post R.C. Slocum Years . 2020-12-02 . Bleacher Report . en.
  21. Web site: With No Due Respect if Scott Frost's Unsung Career is Any Guide, Nebraska Will Go Undefeated and Still Not Get a Share of the National Title.