The Big 12 Conference currently has 16 teams.

Recent Expansion

This number reflects significant realignment since 2021. Texas and Oklahoma left for the SEC in 2024, dropping the count from 14, but the conference rebounded by adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF in 2023, then Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah in 2024 from the Pac-12. No further changes have been reported as of early 2026, keeping it stable at 16 for football and other sports.

Full Team List

Here's the current lineup (join years noted):

Team| Joined
---|---
Arizona| 2024
Arizona State| 2024
Baylor| 1996
BYU| 2023
Cincinnati| 2023
Colorado| 2024
Houston| 2023
Iowa State| 1996
Kansas| 1996
Kansas State| 1996
Oklahoma State| 1996
TCU| 2012
Texas Tech| 1996
UCF| 2023
Utah| 2024
West Virginia| 2012

Competition Format

  • No divisions; top two teams play in the championship at AT&T Stadium.
  • Each team plays nine conference games.
  • This setup boosts parity, with multiple contenders often emerging yearly.

TL;DR: 16 teams since 2024 expansion; stable and competitive.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.