USA Today ranks all 16 Big 12 football programs going into 2026

USA Today has ranked all 16 Big 12 football programs ahead of the 2026 season. This comes as the conference has had its share of changes over the last decade. The Big 12 took a huge hit when Texas and Oklahoma left the conference for the SEC. Before that, Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2018, and Missouri and Texas A&M left for the SEC in 2012. While the Big 12 may not currently be as strong as the other three Power 4 conferences, the top teams are not pushovers and can make a run at the national title. Here’s a look at the rankings of all 16 teams in the Big 12 from USA Today‘s Jordan Mendoza. [ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ] 1. Utah Utes Utah has been on an amazing run since 2003. The Utes have won double-digit games 10 times and have claimed five conference titles during that span. Urban Meyer was the head coach in 2003 and 2004, and Kyle Whittingham was the head coach from 2005 to 2025. In Whittingham’s final season at Utah, he led the team to an 11-2 record and a No. 14 finish in both polls. 2. BYU Cougars BYU has been a strong program since LaVell Edwards was the head coach in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The Cougars had a magical season in 1984, when they won the national title. After Edwards’ final season in 2000, BYU has continued to be a consistent program. In the last two years, the Cougars have finished 11-2 under head coach Kalani Sitake. 3. Kansas State Wildcats Kansas State has not won a national championship, but it has had recent success in the Big 12. The Wildcats have won three conference titles, with the last being in 2022. Chris Kleiman was Kansas State’s head coach from 2019 to last season. He is now retired, and former Wildcats QB Collin Klein takes over for the 2026 season and beyond. 4. TCU Horned Frogs TCU is the most recent Big 12 team to play for a national championship. That was during the 2022 season, and the Horned Frogs lost to the Georgia Bulldogs. TCU joined the Big 12 in 2012 and won the conference title in 2014. The program does have national championship history before the 2022 run, winning the title in 1935 and 1938. 5. Arizona State Sun Devils Arizona State joined the Big 12 in 2024 and won the conference title that season. The team qualified for the College Football Playoff and lost to Texas in the quarterfinals. Before joining the Big 12, the Sun Devils were longtime members of the Pac-12. They won Pac-12 titles in 1986, 1996, and 2007. 6. Texas Tech Red Raiders The Red Raiders are the defending Big 12 champions and finished the 2025 season with a 12-2 record. The 12 victories are the most Texas Tech has had in one season. The program’s conference title is also its first in the Big 12. Before joining the conference, Texas Tech was a member of the Southwest Conference. 7. Colorado Buffaloes Colorado received a jolt when Deion Sanders became the head coach in 2023. In Sanders’ three seasons at the school, he has just one winning season, going 9-4 in 2024. The last time Colorado won the Big 12 was in 2021. The team won the national title in 1990 and have produced two Heisman winners — Rashaan Salaam and Travis Hunter. 8. Oklahoma State Cowboys Mike Gundy was Oklahoma State’s head coach for nearly 21 seasons and had quite the run. He won the Big 12 in 2011 and led the team to 18 consecutive bowl appearances. The 2011 Big 12 title is the only one for Oklahoma State. However, the Cowboys won the national title in 1945, and Barry Sanders won the Heisman in 1988. 9. West Virginia Mountaineers West Virginia was one of the teams that joined the Big 12 in 2012. The program’s best season in the conference was in 2016, when it went 10-3 with a 7-2 record in Big 12 play. Before joining the Big 12, the Mountaineers were members of the Big East. From 1993 to 2011, West Virginia won seven Big East championships. 10. Baylor Bears Baylor joined the Big 12 when it launched in 1996 and has won three conference titles. The school also produced a Heisman winner in Robert Griffin III, who won the award in 2011. Before joining the Big 12, the Bears were longtime members of the Southwest Conference. Along with the three Big 12 titles, Baylor has also claimed Southwest Conference championships. 11. Arizona Wildcats12. Cincinnati Bearcats13. Houston Cougars14. Iowa State Cyclones15. UCF Knights 16. Kansas Jayhawks