Combine the strength of the teams in the Big Eight Conference with the great tradition of four teams from Texas, and what do you get?

The Big 12.

The conference is celebrating its inaugural season in 1996. With this merger will likely come one of the most competitive conferences in college football, if not the No. 1 group in the land.

New division alignments, a championship game and a host of top-ranked teams sums up the new conference. With the new Texas schools joining the Big Eight schools, Iowa State has seen its schedule grow even more grueling than before.

ISU is aligned in the Northern Division of the new conference. They share that region with two-time defending national champion Nebraska, as well as top-caliber teams such as Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State.

In the Southern Division, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State combine with Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Baylor.

If last season is any indicator, the Big 12 will dominate. Seven of the 12 teams were ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 at the end of the season last year; four of them landed in the top ten.

But that was last year. What does the first Big 12 Conference season hold in store in 1996? One-by-one, here’s a look.

NORTHERN DIVISION

Nebraska — They’ve lost Heisman Trophy finalist Tommie Frazier as well as running back Lawrence Phillips, but as usual, they will reload rather than rebuild. Ahman Green looked superb while filling in for Phillips last season. Whether the team will return to the title game might by the arm and legs of quarterback Scott Frost. Coach Tom Osborne has experience coming back on the other side, as the defense returns seven starters anchored by linebacker Terrell Farley and defensive lineman Jared Tomich.

Colorado — A wide open offense engineered by quarterback Koy Detmer is just what Coach Rick Neuheisel wants for his Buffaloes. Detmer led the nation in passing efficiency before going down with an injury last season, but looks to return to form. With big play receiver Rae Carruth and All-American guard Chris Naeole, Colorado should put points on the board. The defense has middle linebacker Matt Russell leading the way.

Kansas State — Standout wide receiver Kevin Lockett leads the way for the Wildcats, who will be relying on Brian Kavanagh to run the offense this year. Chris Canty returns for the defense, coming off a season which included eight interceptions and two touchdowns.

This season will be the real test for Bill Snyder’s K-State team, as the schedule has gotten much stronger this year. Low-ranked opponents such as Akron and Northern Illinois no longer lie on the schedule.

Kansas — Coming off a season with wins over Colorado and UCLA, the latter in the Aloha Bowl, Kansas looks poised to resume where they left off. June Henley is back for the Jayhawks at running back, and should pick up the majority of the backfield duty with the departure of L.T. Levine to the NFL.

Missouri — This rebuilding program features Brock Olivo, who led the team in rushing and receptions last season. Many new signees may be called upon to step into contributing roles as Missouri works its way back toward respectability.

Iowa State — With a loaded offense and a new defensive look, the Cyclones will look to improve on last season’s 3-8 mark. Troy Davis leads the ground attack while Todd Doxson and a new cast of talented receivers will attempt to pump life into a dormant passing game. (A more in-depth look at ISU is available in this section.

SOUTHERN DIVISION

Oklahoma — The Sooners have sophomore quarterback Eric Moore back after a productive rookie season. Coach John Blake might have to rely heavily on his young quarterback with the loss of running back Jerald Moore to the NFL.

Oklahoma State — With the tradition of great runners such as Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas, it is no surprise that OSU has two solid runners in David Thompson and Andre Richardson. Thompson eclipsed the 1,500-yard mark last season. Quarterback Tone’ Jones led the team in scoring last season, and is an equal threat to run and pass.

Texas — With a solid running game and a secondary that is tough as nails, Coach John Mackovic has the inside track to the Southern Division title. Shon Mitchell and Ricky Williams combined for 2,089 yards and 18 touchdowns at the running back position last season, both contributing at an almost equal rate. Free safety Chris Carter is a preseason All-American that will anchor the Longhorn defense.

Texas A& M — This team won’t resemble last year’s squad much at all. Running back Leland McElroy, quarterback Corey Pullig and cornerback Ray Mickens are all gone. Sirr Parker could be the one that steps up and continues the tradition of solid Aggie running.

Texas Tech — The Red Raiders had a solid season last year, going 9-3 and winning a bowl game. Two of the losses came against Big 12 teams, however, and their leading tackler, Zach Thomas, has caught on with the Miami Dolphins. This could be a critical season for Tech to keep their momentum.

Baylor — Jerod Douglas returns to lead the ground attack of the Bears. Baylor looks to have a relatively easy schedule heading into the Big 12 slate. They must improve last year’s outcomes against Texas and Texas A&M to make a run at the Southern Division title.

The first Big 12 games will take place on Aug. 31 when Texas Tech meets Kansas State and Missouri travels to Texas.

The conference championship game will be played at the TransWorld Dome in St. Louis during the first weekend of December.