The Way-Too-Early Big 12 Basketball Rankings for 2026-27 are All Over the Place

FOX Sports

At FOX Sports, the Big 12 had six teams ranked, with Arizona at No. 5, followed by Iowa State (No. 9), Kansas (No. 14), Houston (No. 16), BYU (No. 20) and Texas Tech (No. 24).

ESPN

At ESPN, their Top 25 was put together on Tuesday, and it started with Arizona at No. 5, followed by Houston in the No. 10 slot, and then it was Iowa State at No. 12, TCU at No. 16 and BYU at No. 22. Kansas and Texas Tech both just missed the Top 25.

Sports Illustrated

SI.com‘s list included Arizona at No. 4, Houston at No. 10, Iowa State coming in at No. 14, Kansas at No. 19, Texas Tech at No. 23 and TCU at No. 24.

Conclusion

While there’s clearly belief the Big 12 will be solid and deep again, the only consistency appears to be that Arizona should remain a Top 5 team, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess. Like I said, it’s too early to really get a feel for where next season is going to go with recruiting and the transfer portal still needing to shake out, but it’s also a good chance to see how the national folks perceive the Big 12.

Two things stand out too: The shine for Kansas has worn off. And TCU is getting a lot of love. But now, Jamie Dixon is going to need to get the cash from the University and NIL to keep this team together to make a serious run in 2026. Let’s hope he can do it.