The Big 12 Conference enters 2026-27 as the deepest conference in college basketball, with Kansas, Houston, Baylor, and Arizona all projecting in the top 10 by scoring margin.
The Big 12 Conference enters the 2026-27 season as the deepest conference in college basketball, with four programs projecting in the top 10 nationally by scoring margin: Kansas (#2, +17.9), Houston (#6, +15.2), Baylor (#14, +10.8), and Arizona (#13, +11.3).
No other conference comes close to that level of top-10 concentration. The SEC has three teams in the top 10 (Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn), while the ACC has two (Duke, UNC). The Big East has one (UConn).
The Big 12's depth is a direct result of aggressive NIL spending and portal activity over the past two offseasons. The conference's four top-10 programs have a combined NIL budget of approximately $13.6M for 2026-27 — the highest of any four-team group in the country.
From a scheduling standpoint, the Big 12's depth creates a brutal gauntlet for every program in the conference. Kansas, the projected No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, will face at least six top-25 opponents in conference play — more than any other team in any other conference.
BasketBoss projects the Big 12 to send five teams to the NCAA Tournament, with Kansas and Houston both earning No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.