Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark made a bold promise for 2024.
“We will be the conference with the strongest presence in America and every week will count,” Yormark said July 9 at the Big 12 Media Days.
The Big 12 will have a bold new look with the departure of Oklahoma and Texas in 2024. In response, the conference has added eight schools in two years, and the depth of competition in the conference is new. Utah, Kansas State, Arizona, Oklahoma State and Kansas were all ranked in the Sporting News preseason top 25. The Big 12 should have parity, and there are a handful of Heisman Trophy contenders – including the Colorado duo of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
How will these teams fare in the race for the 12-team College Football Playoff? That’s another level of newcomers. TCU was the only Big 12 team to win a CFP game in the four-team era. Oklahoma and Texas combined for a 0-5 record in the semifinals.
Who has the edge in the Big 12 this season? Here’s a closer look at the Big 12 with predictions, key games, Heisman Trophy contenders and more.
MORE: Sporting News Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Composite Top 25
What’s new in the Big 12 in 2024?
The Big 12 will have 16 teams in 2024. The conference added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah from the Pac-12. The Big 12 will have no divisions and the top two teams will play in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 7 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Here’s a look at the 16 teams in the Big 12 in 2024:
| Arizona | Kansas |
| State of Arizona | State of Kansas |
| Baylor | State of Oklahoma |
| BYU | TCU |
| Colorado | Texas Tech |
| Cincinnati | UCF |
| Houston | Utah |
| State of Iowa | West Virginia |
Projected 2024 Big 12 seeding order
- Utah
- State of Kansas
- State of Oklahoma
- Arizona
- Kansas
- West Virginia
- State of Iowa
- Texas Tech
- UCF
- TCU
- Baylor
- Colorado
- BYU
- Cincinnati
- Houston
- State of Arizona
Utah enters the conference as the preseason favorite, and that’s a safe bet. Utes coach Kyle Whittingham is entering his 20th season, and seventh-year quarterback Cam Rising is back after sitting out last season. The Utes also don’t have Kansas State or Kansas on their schedule. How does that line up against Oklahoma State — the best remaining program in the old Big 12? Mike Gundy returns a veteran team led by Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon and seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman.
Kansas State and Kansas have built excitement around their programs with their respective coaches Chris Klieman and Lance Leipold. Quarterbacks Avery Marshall and Jalon Daniels should also put up big numbers. The October 26 showdown at Kansas State will be great.
Arizona signed Brent Brennan from San Jose State to replace Jedd Fisch, and the Wildcats were one of the strongest teams in the FBS at the end of last season. The early-season tests at Kansas State and Utah will not be easy.
Who is the dark horse in the second division that could make it to the finals? Iowa State, West Virginia and Texas Tech will fight for that spot. Rocco Becht, Garrett Greene and Morton Behren are returning starting quarterbacks for their respective teams.
BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF combined for an overall record of 18-31 and a league mark of 8-28 as first-year members of the Big 12. Houston signed Willie Fritz from Tulane and UCF brought in Arkansas transfer quarterback KJ Jefferson. Also in the bottom half are TCU – which played in the 2022 CFP championship under Sonny Dykes – and Colorado – which hopes to improve in its second year under Deion Sanders.
Top Storyline: What will Coach Prime do in year two?
The Buffaloes are back in the Big 12 with second-year coach Deion Sanders, and that will demand more attention, at least early in the season. Colorado’s September games against Colorado State and Oregon were among the five most-watched games of the 2023 season. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter are back, and another roster move in the transfer portal improved the offensive and defensive lines. Colorado allowed 56 sacks last season and ranked last in the FBS in rushing yards per game (68.9). Unless those two trends change, Colorado won’t make it to a bowl game.
MORE: Top 25 QBs for 2024 | FBS Coaches Ranking 1-134
MORE: SN meets with Coach Prime to preview Season 2
Big 12 Heisman Trophy Contenders
Here are the Big 12’s top four Heisman Trophy candidates for the 2024 season:
Avery Johnson, QB, Kansas State
Johnson has the best prospects in the Big 12 to start the season and offered a taste of his talent with 178 passing yards, 71 rushing yards and three total TDs in the Pop-Tarts Bowl win over NC State. He could easily be among the Big 12 leaders in total offense, and the Wildcats are among the favorites.
Jalon Daniels, quarterback, Kansas
Daniels is great when he’s healthy — and the Jayhawks are a threat to win the conference if he lasts a full season. Daniels had a 74.7% completion rate through three games last season — and Kansas averaged 34.3 points per game. This could be the breakout year for the Jayhawks, and that makes Daniels a perfect Heisman dark horse candidate.
Shedeur Sanders, quarterback, Colorado
Sanders has star power, totaling 3,230 yards, 27 TDs and three interceptions last season without a running game or reliable pass defense. He also had 11 TDs and an interception on passes of 20 yards or more. Sanders is in the conversation as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That alone will keep him in the conversation.
Ollie Gordon, RB, Oklahoma State
Gordon – a preseason first-team SN All-American – finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting last season. He won the Doak Walker Award after rushing for 1,732 yards and 21 TDs in 2023. It’s inherently difficult for running backs to win the award – Alabama running backs Derrick Henry (2015) and Mark Ingram (2009) are the last two – but Gordon could get into the running if the Cowboys win the Big 12.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Noah Fifita is also a candidate, but McMillan — a preseason first-team SN All-American — is 6-foot-5, 250 pounds and can make the contested catch. Last season, he had 90 catches, 1,402 yards and 10 TDs. McMillan is the kind of player who can take over games — but the stats have to be astronomical.
MORE: Sporting News 2024 Preseason All-America Team
Who is the most successful Big 12 transfer?
KJ Jefferson, QB, UCF
Baylor’s DeQuan Finn could also be here considering his stellar performances in Toledo, but Jefferson played five seasons and totaled 67 TDs and 18 interceptions at Arkansas. He averaged 584 rushing yards over the past three seasons. He will fit in well with UCF coach Gus Malzahn, and that makes the Knights a surprise contender in their second year in the conference.
Big 12 newcomers to watch
Jordan Seaton, T, Colorado
We’ve already mentioned Colorado’s struggles. Seaton – a 6-foot-5, 280-pound five-star tackle from IMG Academy – was the top recruit from a small class that Sanders brought in for 2024. He’ll start as a freshman – and that makes him one of the most impactful players in the conference from day one.
The five best games in the Big 12 in 2024
A look at the top five games on the Big 12 schedule for 2024:
Utah vs. Oklahoma State (September 21)
The Big 12’s schedule is packed, and this will be the first gauge to see how the Pac-12’s newcomers will fare in the conference. These schools haven’t played each other since 1945.
BUY NOW: Cheapest Oklahoma State tickets for every game available on StubHub
Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State (September 28)
The Cowboys have won four of the last six games in this series, but both losses came in Manhattan. The two schools that benefit most from Oklahoma and Texas leaving the Big 12 have a chance to close out September with a big win.
BUY NOW: Cheapest Kansas State tickets for every game available on StubHub
Kansas at Kansas State (Oct. 26)
Both teams have high hopes for their quarterbacks, and Chris Klieman and Lance Leipold have applied their successful FCS models to the Sunflower State. The Wildcats have won the last 15 games in this series. Will the Jayhawks end this series?
Arizona at Utah (September 28)
Arizona beat Utah 42-18 last season, ending a six-game losing streak to the Utes. Fifita and Rising should perform well here, and the winner will have a leg up in the conference race in October.
BUY NOW: Cheapest Utah tickets for every game available on StubHub
West Virginia at Texas Tech (November 30)
These Big 12 surprise contenders meet late in the season, and the Mountaineers snapped a four-game losing streak against Texas Tech last season. Will Greene have a chance to get the Mountaineers to the Big 12 championship game? Or will Brooks and Texas Tech prove that the Big 12 does indeed run through Lubbock?
Important Big 12 statistics
Although the Big 12 has a reputation for being a league with a lot of open passing, it’s good to know that the top five rushers from last season are back.
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | ATT | YARDS | YPC | TDS |
| Ollie Gordon II | State of Oklahoma | 285 | 1,732 | 6.1 | 21 |
| Tahj Brooks | Texas Tech | 290 | 1,541 | 5.3 | 10 |
| RJ Harvey | UCF | 226 | 1,416 | 6.3 | 16 |
| Devin Neal | Kansas | 203 | 1,280 | 6.3 | 16 |
| DJ Giddens | State of Kansas | 223 | 1,226 | 5.5 | 10 |
Last season, Texas running back Jonathon Brooks finished seventh with 1,139 yards. He was the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. This is a league where the star running back can – and will – flourish.
Big 12 Champion: Utah
It’s a safe bet. Maybe too safe, but that’s been the experience with Kyle Whittingham, who enters his 20th season with another team that should be physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage. USC receiver Dorian Singer and Georgia Tech defensive back Kenan Johnson were smart additions, and the Utes had a 49-12 record in the last 10 seasons at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Other Big 12 teams will soon find out how difficult it is to win there. Utah wins the conference, but will the Big 12 get a second playoff team? That’s the real drama.
