Arizona Won the Big 12 in Its First Real Run at the Title

The Wildcats went 16-2 in Big 12 play to claim the regular season championship. It's their first conference title since joining the league.

The backstory: Arizona moved from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 before the 2024-25 season. After a solid first year adjusting to the new conference, the Wildcats put together a dominant second season and won the league outright.

Published: March 8, 2026

Arizona's move to the Big 12 came with questions. Could a program built in the Pac-12 compete in a conference that includes Kansas, Houston, Iowa State, and Texas Tech? Would the travel, the style of play, and the physicality of the Big 12 grind them down?

The Wildcats answered those questions this season with a 16-2 conference record and the Big 12 regular season title.

It wasn't supposed to happen this fast. Arizona's first season in the Big 12 was a transition year. They made the tournament but lost in the second round. The conference was new, the opponents were unfamiliar, and it took time to adjust.

This year was different. Arizona came into the season with a roster built for the Big 12's physical style. They had size inside, toughness on the perimeter, and a defense that could match up with the league's best offenses. Their only conference losses came on the road against Houston and Iowa State - games decided by a combined nine points.

The Wildcats rolled through the rest of the schedule. They beat Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, which is always a statement win. They swept Texas Tech and BYU. They handled TCU, UCF, and the rest of the middle of the pack without much trouble.

Head coach Tommy Lloyd, now in his fifth year in Tucson, has built Arizona into a consistent national contender. The Wildcats have made the tournament every year under Lloyd and have been a top-15 team more often than not. But this Big 12 title feels like a step forward - proof that the program can compete at the highest level in a conference that demands it every night.

Arizona is projected as a 1-seed for the NCAA Tournament. They're in the mix for the No. 1 overall seed if they can win the Big 12 Tournament and get some help from results elsewhere. At minimum, they'll be a top-four team in the field.

The Big 12 as a whole has been strong this season. Iowa State is a projected 2-seed. Kansas, Houston, TCU, BYU, and UCF are all in the tournament conversation. The conference could send eight or nine teams to the field. Arizona beating all of them on a regular basis says something about where the program stands.

In short: Arizona won the Big 12 regular season title with a 16-2 conference record, establishing themselves as a national contender in their second year in the league. They're projected as a 1-seed and are in the conversation for the No. 1 overall spot.