Big 12 Conference

What Big 12 Conference does

The Big 12 Conference is a private, non-profit NCAA Division I athletic conference founded in 1994 and headquartered in the Dallas–Frisco, Texas area. It governs intercollegiate competition across 16 member universities (Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah, and West Virginia) following a 2023 expansion from 10 members. The conference operates men's and women's sports programs including football, basketball, baseball, and a planned women's flag football league debuting in 2028.

The conference's core revenue engine is a $2.28 billion media rights agreement with ESPN and Fox running through 2030, supplemented by sublicensing arrangements with CBS, TNT, and Peacock, plus a diversified sponsorship portfolio (Monster Energy, Phillips 66, Windex, PayPal, ASB GlassFloor). Distribution spans domestic broadcast, streaming platforms, social media, and emerging international broadcasts from London and Ireland. Its technology profile includes the first deployment of ASB GlassFloor LED-embedded glass basketball court technology for official U.S. competition at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City during the 2026 basketball tournaments, a FIBA-certified platform that streams video and animations for sponsor activation and fan engagement. The conference also operates collegiate championship events such as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Tournaments and Football Media Days.

Monetization flows through media rights licensing, corporate sponsorships, and championship event revenue, with funds redistributed to member institutions. In April 2026 the Big 12 became the first Power Four conference to enter a league-wide private equity partnership via a 50-50 venture called Collegiate Athletic Solutions with RedBird Capital Partners and Weatherford Capital, providing $12.5 million in league office capital and up to $30 million in optional per-school credit lines. The conference projects record gross revenue of $710 million for fiscal year 2026, maintaining fourth position among Power Four conferences behind the Big Ten ($1.47B), SEC ($1.11B), and ACC ($826.5M).

Name

Big 12 Conference

Legal name

Big 12 Conference

Website

https://big12sports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Big 12 Conference is a non-profit NCAA Division I athletic conference that governs competition among 16 member universities, monetizing media rights, sponsorships, and championship events while distributing revenue back to its member schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAICS

Spectator Sports (7112), Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations (MPAKACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intercollegiate Athletics (Varsity Sports Programs) (EDALAIAA), University/School Sport Governing Bodies (Collegiate/Scholastic Associations) (MPAKAFAG), College & University Sports Networks (Conference/School-Owned) (MPABAJAD)

Keywords

• Collegiate athletic conference
• NCAA Division I sports
• Media rights distribution
• Intercollegiate athletics
• Conference championships

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Big 12 Conference governs and administers intercollegiate athletic competition among 16 NCAA Division I member universities, organizing regular-season and championship competitions across multiple sports including football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, and others. It negotiates and distributes media rights revenue (notably through a $2.28 billion deal with ESPN and Fox) and commercial sponsorship revenue (including PayPal and Monster Energy) back to member institutions, and represents the conference in national collegiate athletics governance and postseason qualification matters.

Product overview

The Big 12 Conference is a 16-member NCAA Division I athletic conference offering competitive sports programs across multiple disciplines. The conference operates its core product as an athletic league governing member institutions, supplemented by sponsored events (basketball tournaments with Phillips 66 sponsorship), media rights distribution (ESPN, Fox, CBS, TNT, Peacock), and a groundbreaking private capital partnership through Collegiate Athletic Solutions with RedBird Capital and Weatherford Capital. The conference is expanding into women's flag football in 2028 and international markets with games in London and Ireland. The conference's recent innovation includes deploying ASB GlassFloor LED court technology for basketball tournaments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women's Flag Football: The Big 12 is taking steps to become the first FBS conference to sponsor women's flag football, beginning in 2028 with a minimum of six teams, in partnership with the NFL.

Products and services

• Big 12 Conference (Intercollegiate Athletic Competition and Governance)
• Conference Media Rights and Broadcasting
• Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Tournaments
• Women's Flag Football Program
• International Games Series
• Collegiate Athletic Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• Record $710 million projected revenue for FY 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Monster EnergycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 June 2026Naming rights sponsor for Big 12 Football Media Days 2026, replacing Microsoft Copilot as presenting partner from prior year. Features co-branded signage and on-site promotional activities. Event scheduled for July 7-8 at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
• PayPalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 May 2026Headlined commercial sponsorship operations in the RedBird Capital partnership, having generated roughly $100 million in sponsorship revenue through the partnership structure.
• NFLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Partnership to become first FBS conference to sponsor women's flag football beginning in 2028 with minimum six teams. Initiative led by Commissioner Brett Yormark and Chief Football & Competition Officer Scott Draper. Builds on December partnership covering technology, officiating, and flag football. Sport debuts at 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
• WindexminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 March 2026Named Official Glass Cleaning Partner of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Tournaments during the debut of ASB GlassFloor LED court. Windex maintains the court and participates in associated promotional activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Athletic Conference (AAC): Group of 5 conference competing for CFP access, bowl tie-ins, and member retention against Power 4 leagues. Operates a similar conference office model with member-driven revenue distribution.
• Sun Belt Conference: Group of 5 conference with comparable membership governance, ESPN media relationships, and championship structures. Comparable at the conference-office level despite smaller scale.
• Southeastern Conference (SEC): Power 4 conference with the largest projected FY26 revenue ($1.11B) and the ESPN-exclusivity media rights model. Direct competitor for CFP access, recruits, and media rights value.
• Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC): Power 4 conference that ranks just ahead of the Big 12 in FY26 projected revenue ($826.5M vs. $710M). Operates with similar sponsorship, broadcast, and championship structures across member institutions.
• Big Ten Conference: Another Power 4 NCAA conference with similar governance of member universities, media rights structure (Fox/ESPN/CBS/NBC), and revenue-distribution model. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping media partners and competitive athletics footprint.
• Mountain West Conference: Group of 5 conference sharing Friday-night football scheduling partnerships with Fox's Big Noon Kickoff. Comparable in conference-level broadcast and sponsorship economics at a smaller scale.
• Pac-12 Conference: Rebuilt Pac-12 operating as a smaller conference post-2024 realignment. Directly comparable in function as a membership-association athletic conference, though currently much smaller in scale than Big 12.

Others

• NCAA: The national governing body over Big 12's member institutions. Not a direct competitor but the primary regulator of the conference's competition framework, eligibility, and championships (including the new women's flag football emerging-sport designation).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Big12Conference
• Facebookfacebook.com/Big12
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big12

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big 12 Conference