The Big 12’s Best Football Programs

I asked what is a near-impossible question to answer on Twitter this weekend. 

Here is the criteria that I used to answer this question:

• Consistency in the last decade

• Next 1-2 year outlook

• Caliber of head coach

• NIL support

• Other: tradition, location, etc.

The Big 12 has so much parity right now that you could make a strong case for at least ten different teams.

Before you start popping off in my inbox, let me be clear:

There’s no definitive right answer here. You could go a hundred different directions.

Let’s start with the programs that just missed my top five.

BYU

Starting off with a bang.

BYU has massive upward mobility here based on what happens this year. If Kalani Sitake follows up 2024’s 11-win season with another double-digit win campaign, the Cougars could rocket toward the top of this list.

But for now, I need to see more than one season of Power Four success.

Yes, Sitake posted 10+ wins before joining the Big 12, but the independent schedule doesn't carry the same weight.

BYU also has strong NIL backing—though it’s been more evident so far in basketball than football.

If Sitake proves he can consistently challenge for league titles, BYU will climb fast.

Arizona State

You can copy and paste a lot of what I said about BYU and apply it to Kenny Dillingham and Arizona State.

If Dillingham pulls off another Big 12 title run, ASU instantly becomes the No. 1 program on this list. But like Sitake, he needs to show he can sustain success.

As much as I love Dillingham, there’s danger in crowning a coach too early. K-State’s men’s basketball head coach Jerome Tang is a cautionary tale here. 

Can Dillingham still win big without Cam Skattebo? I’m guessing the answer is yes, but I need to see it first.

The Sun Devils have solid NIL support, kept most of their roster intact through both portal windows, and still feel like a sleeping giant. We’ll see if Dillingham has an encore ready.

#5 Iowa State

Matt Campbell raised his ceiling—and Iowa State’s—by winning 11 games and reaching another Big 12 title game last year.

Sure, there were dips (2021, 2022), but over the last decade, Campbell has been consistently strong and appears to be getting even better.

Iowa State might not have elite NIL resources, but the Cyclones make up for it with development. They tied for the Big 12 lead in players drafted this weekend with four.

And with quarterback Rocco Becht and DC Jon Heacock returning, Iowa State will once again have a great QB and a great defense. That’s a formula built to win.

#4 Oklahoma State

The Cowboys are clinging to their top-five spot, but there’s a major risk of a slide if 2025 looks anything like 2024.

The last decade of success under Mike Gundy is doing most of the heavy lifting here. Five 10+ win seasons in the last ten years is tough to argue against. So is a Hall-of-Fame level resume for Gundy. 

But if he has another underwhelming year, that would make three out of four disappointing seasons.

The clock is ticking.

#3 K-State

Chris Klieman has been the picture of consistency at K-State.

Aside from the COVID season, he’s posted 8+ wins every year, including a Big 12 title in 2022, and he’s poised to contend again with a loaded roster. It should be a fourth straight season in the mix for a conference championship. 

K-State also has stronger NIL support than you might expect (just ask Jeff Goodman), and Klieman’s recruiting and portal work have only gotten better over time.

As long as Klieman’s in Manhattan, K-State will stay in the thick of the Big 12 race.

#2 TCU

This one will surprise some people.

TCU has been flying under the radar since their run to the national championship game, but they’ve posted more 11+ win seasons (4) than any other Big 12 program over the last 11 years.

Say what you want about Sonny Dykes—there are valid criticisms—but no one else in the league has coached in an FBS national title game. And he’s averaging nine wins per season at TCU.

If QB Josh Hoover delivers, TCU could absolutely be a dark horse to win the Big 12 this year.

Their DFW location gives them built-in recruiting advantages, too.

#1 Utah

Yes, Utah went 5–7 last year.

No, that doesn’t erase everything else.

Over the last decade, Utah has been the most consistent program in the new Big 12: seven seasons of 9+ wins, four seasons with 10+, and two Rose Bowl appearances.

Kyle Whittingham is a Hall of Fame-caliber coach. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for one more year, especially after how much Cam Rising’s injury derailed the last two seasons.

And with Devon Dampier leading the offense, I expect a major bounce-back for the Utes.

What You Need to Know

• The NFL Draft was a mixed bag for the Big 12. Let’s start with the good: the league had 31 picks overall, which tied for the most since 2005. Colorado’s Traivs Hunter and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan were both taken in the top eight, tying the Big 12 for the most top-eight picks of any conference. The league also had a record number of running backs (7) and wide receivers (8) taken overall. 

• However, the SEC and Big Ten continued to widen the talent gap between themselves and everybody else. They combined for 26 of the 32 first-round picks and had 58% of the picks overall. That’s only going to make the narratives become increasingly damaging to the Big 12 and ACC. Listen here for a perfect example of how WILD that rhetoric is getting right now. 

• The Big 12 may wind up with two more top-eight picks in next year’s draft if all goes according to plan. Pro Football Focus predicts two Big 12 teammates will go in the top ten of the 2026 NFL draft in their way-too-early first-round mock draft. 

• If you haven’t seen the wild footage of a 22-year-old posing as an NFL GM prank calling Shedeur Sanders while he was free-falling in the draft on Saturday, you can check it out here. It was later revealed that the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was involved. 

• BYU is loading up for another run to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. Cougars’ star Richie Saunders announced on Saturday that he’ll be skipping the NBA draft to return to Provo next season. Don’t forget that Saunders has the best NIL deal in the conference—a must-read story.

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