The Big 12 had a remarkable men's basketball season, with a conference-record 13 players selected in last week's NBA Draft, as well as Arizona, Iowa State, Houston, BYU and Kansas being regularly ranked in the Top 25 polls.
But overall, the Big 12 wasn't a national power in NCAA sports. In the final standings of the annual Learfield Directors' Cup — the sport-by-sport measurement of each school's success, the Big 12 had just one school in the Top 25. Texas, Stanford and UCLA finished 1-2-3, which exhibits how meaningful the success of non-revenue sports is.
Each school is eligible to earn points in 19 men's and women's sports. All must be counted in baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball and women's soccer. The other 14 sports per school are determined by their highest national finishes. A Top 10 finish in rowing or cross country earns as many points as a Top 10 finish in football.
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Here's how the Big 12 turned out:
25. BYU, 730 points
28. Oklahoma State, 713.50
33. TCU, 675
35. Texas Tech, 669
36. Arizona, 668
38. ASU, 655
43. Iowa State, 600.75
49. Kansas, 543.50
50. Baylor, 530.50
50. West Virginia, 530.50
53. Colorado, 507
60. UCF, 446
63. Utah, 435.25
70. Kansas State, 347
88. Houston, 236.50
91. Cincinnati, 231
Despite its Final Four finish in men's basketball and men's golf and an Elite Eight season in men's tennis, Arizona only moved up seven spots from its 43rd-place finish last year. The UA placed 27th in 2021, its highest finish in the last 10 seasons. History? From 1993-2001, Arizona finished in the Top 10 every season.
Arizona senior Jay Friend high fives eager fans after winning his singles match against Oklahoma in Tucson at LaNelle Robson Tennis Center, May 9, 2026.
Arizona got 67 points in men's and women's track and field combined, sports in which BYU combined for 116.25 points. The Wildcats also failed to get any points in baseball, women's basketball and soccer.
