The Big 12 Conference has never not known the name Iowa State. Since the formation of the conference in 1996, Iowa State has been there. Out of the 16 teams, they are one of six to have been in the conference since its foundation and have reaped the benefits of that.
The Big 12 has given all Iowa State sports an opportunity to play high-level conference opponents, not just across its big sports like football and basketball, but across all sports. Giving some of the smaller sports better opponents can help grow Iowa State sports and also help improve the athletes in their own respective sports.
One of the biggest arguments for why the Big 12 is great for Cyclone athletics is simply the balance of power across almost every single sport. The Big 12 does a great job, whether they try to or not, of having almost every team have a shot at being competitive and in the fight for a conference title.
Last season, the Arizona State Sun Devils came into their first-ever football season in the Big 12 as a team projected to finish bottom of the league. But quietly, they won game after game and found themselves in Arlington, Texas, for the Big 12 Championship game. They eventually ended up winning that game and sending themselves into the College Football Playoffs.
The last five Big 12 football champions have been all different teams, and the past five women’s basketball champions have been three different teams.
Meanwhile, in a conference like the SEC, the last five football champions have been either Alabama or Georgia and five out of its last six women’s basketball champions have been South Carolina.
Allowing athletes to come into sports and be competitive is incredibly beneficial for recruiting as well as fan entertainment. Athletes want to be able to win and be competitive and giving a high school athlete who is being recruited the opportunity to win championships and actively be competitive is huge.
It also helps give athletes national recognition. When you hear the names Tyrese Haliburton or Brock Purdy, they’re automatically affiliated with Iowa State athletics, which in turn affiliates them with the Big 12.
The conference helps players become well-known across the country, with the Big 12 becoming a top-tier conference in sports like basketball and softball and having nationally recognized athletes like 2024 Heisman winner Travis Hunter.
This grants athletes more competitive opportunities on the national level. The new 12-team college football playoff means that a Big 12 team is almost guaranteed to play in the competition, and Iowa State was just one win away from being that team last season. That national recognition also helps bring in those better recruits.
These national opportunities can help grow Iowa State’s brand and visibility. Being a part of the Big 12 brings in big TV deals and gives fans of Cyclone sports easy access to view their favorite teams’ games from the comfort of their own homes.
Being on TV brings eyes to the Cyclones from non-fans as well; an Iowa State game televised on someone’s TV who just wants to watch their favorite sport could bring in new fans or possible future students.
There are always negatives to these positives, though. The fact that the Big 12 is so competitive means that it can be difficult to gain national recognition.
For example, Iowa State football, which, after its win against Arizona put them to 5-0, was still ranked behind SEC or BIG 10 teams with losses. Or in volleyball, where the Cyclones’ 12-2 record leaves them unranked, but a 6-5 Florida Gators team or a 7-5 Penn State team are in the top 25.
It can also create a problem where the Big 12 doesn’t have enough nationally recognized brands. In basketball, there’s Kansas and in softball, Texas Tech made it to the national championship.
But relative to other conferences, they lack those big teams. With the departure of Texas and Oklahoma from the conference in 2024, the Big 12 lost teams that could be considered “elite” by the public and their schools that are household names.
In a world where college sports face constant conference realignment and NIL deals, the loyalty that Iowa State shows to the Big 12 could be the Cyclones’ greatest strength.
The opportunity that the Big 12 gives to Iowa State allows it to be competitive in almost every sport and should give Cyclone fans excitement for the future and hope for better and better seasons to come.
