Big 12 Softball Tournament Begins New Era Without OU and Texas—But Who’s Watching?

Those are considerable losses. But their departures also ushered in two programs that know a little something about playing on the national stage: Arizona and Arizona State.

Arizona has won as many national titles as OU, though the Wildcats haven’t won one since 2007. They were last in the WCWS in 2022. This is a blue-blood program in the sport. Arizona State has won two national titles—in 2008 and 2011—and has been to the WCWS 12 times, last in 2018.

Those two programs help bridge the competitiveness gap—perhaps not completely,, given OU’s recent success. But the Wildcats and Sun Devils have plenty of success in this space, which is a considerable boost to the conference.

So how did the pair fit into the Big 12 this year? Just fine. Arizona came in second in the final standings behind Texas Tech, while Arizona State came in fifth. Both get a first-round bye in the tournament. Arizona State’s quarterfinal opponent is already set: Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls are no slouch. They’ve been to the last four WCWS.

With Arizona and Arizona State, the Big 12 now features a formidable national trio. Texas Tech is riding an infusion of pitching from NiJaree Canady under new coach Gerry Glasco. Iowa State finished in third place and is the No. 3 seed. It should be an intriguing tournament.

Meanwhile, what about OU and Texas? Well, the SEC is a formidable softball conference. But OU is still OU. The Sooners are No. 1 in the country, won the SEC regular-season crown, and will be the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament. Texas will be No. 3.

I’m most interested in how the two tournaments will be digested. This is where the SEC has a clear advantage. It has the SEC Network, and most of the games are slated to be broadcast on the conference’s linear channel. The Big 12 Tournament will be almost entirely on ESPN+, except for the title game, which will be on ESPN.

That’s where the Big 12 will miss OU and Texas the most. The two programs have a gravitational pull—especially as OU attempts to win a fifth straight title. That pull would bring casual eyeballs to the event, and interest in softball is growing rapidly on television.

Without them? Well, the Big 12 will probably find it harder to get viewers, especially since one must go to the streaming service. It’s a hurdle the league office has yet to find a way to climb over—and likely won’t anytime soon, as ESPN has the league’s third-tier rights through the end of the new contract, which starts in 2025–26.

One looks at the standings, and the drop in competitiveness in the league was minimal without OU and Texas. The tournament will be exciting. The biggest question I have is: who’s going to be watching it?

I think that’s where the Big 12 will miss the two softball powers the most.