Big 12 Conference
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersDallas, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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).
Big 12 Conference firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Big 12 Conference industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Big 12 Conference is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dallas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Big 12 Conference business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Big 12 Conference product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Big 12 Conference
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Big 12 Conference technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature1 record
Big 12 Conference partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Monster EnergycoreNaming 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.
- PayPalcoreHeadlined commercial sponsorship operations in the RedBird Capital partnership, having generated roughly $100 million in sponsorship revenue through the partnership structure.
- NFLcorePartnership 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.
- WindexminorNamed 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
Big 12 Conference competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Big 12 Conference social profiles
Digital presenceBig 12 Conference compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Big 12 Conference financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big 12 Conference leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Big 12 Conference funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
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Big 12 Conference M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big 12 Conference
What does Big 12 Conference do?
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.
Is Big 12 Conference a public or private company?
Big 12 Conference is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Big 12 Conference founded?
Big 12 Conference was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Big 12 Conference based?
Big 12 Conference is headquartered in Dallas, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Big 12 Conference's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are American Athletic Conference (AAC), Sun Belt Conference, Southeastern Conference (SEC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, Mountain West Conference and Pac-12 Conference. NCAA is listed as an others.
Does Big 12 Conference have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big 12 Conference.
What industry is Big 12 Conference in?
Big 12 Conference's product category is Collegiate Athletic Conference. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKACAA, Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations, with a secondary code of EDALAIAA, Intercollegiate Athletics (Varsity Sports Programs). Its NAICS code is 7112 and its SIC code is 8600.