Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament 2026: bracket schedule and seeding

Arizona Wildcats players in game against the Iowa State Hawkeyes

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Matthew Couden

By Matthew Couden

Contributing Writer

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The Big 12 Conference officially completed regular-season games this past weekend, with Arizona maintaining its position atop the standings ahead of the conference tournament. They've achieved an impressive 16-2 record in the Big 12, with the four-loss Houston Cougars in second place.

With that in mind, those two teams are the top two seeds when the Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament begins this week. They'll potentially be among the final teams standing to battle for the conference championship before the Big Dance.

However, other teams involved in that conversation featured some standout players. They include Kansas' Darryn Peterson, who many expect will be the top pick in the NBA Draft, and AJ Dybantsa from BYU, who is also expected to be among the top selections in that draft.

Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket and Schedule

The T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, is the host venue for this year’s Big 12 Tournament, with four first-round games on Tuesday, March 10.

First up, Bobby Hurley’s No. 12 seed Arizona State battles No. 13 Baylor at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN+, followed by No. 9 seed Cincinnati against No. 16 seed Utah at 2 p.m., also on ESPN+.

NBA prospect Dybantsa is in action at 6 p.m. as No. 10 seed BYU takes on No. 14 Kansas State. The first round games wrap up at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN+ as No. 11 seed Colorado takes on No. 14 seed Oklahoma State.

Arizona Wildcats players in game against the Iowa State Hawkeyes

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Four teams await their opponents for the second round on Wednesday, March 11. No. 5 seed Iowa State plays at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN2 against Arizona State or Baylor. No. 8 seed UCF then takes the court at 2 p.m. on ESPNU against either Utah or Cincinnati.

The second-round games finish with No. 7 seed West Virginia playing either BYU or Kansas State at 6 p.m. on ESPNU and No. 6 TCU facing Colorado or Oklahoma State at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU.

The conference's top seeds see their first tournament games on Thursday, March 12. Starting at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN or ESPN2, No. 4 seed Texas Tech is in action. That’s followed by the No. 1 seed, Arizona, playing at 2 p.m., also on ESPN or ESPN2.

No. 2 seed Houston begins play at 6 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2, followed by No. 3 seed Kansas in action at 8:30 p.m., also on ESPN or ESPN2.

The first semifinal game arrives on Friday, March 13, at 6 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN2, followed by the second game at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN2. The Big 12 Tournament wraps up with its final on Saturday, March 14, at 5 p.m. on ESPN to determine this year’s champion.

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Last year’s championship was decided between Arizona and Houston, with the Cougars winning it, before going on their run to the NCAA Tournament’s championship game.

However, there has been much talk about Arizona’s chances of winning it all this year, given its talented roster, and they remain among the favorites, along with Duke and Michigan.

Many other teams wish to enter the championship discussion, so they'll look to the Big 12 Tournament to build momentum or make their cases.

Which Big 12 Teams Will Be in the NCAA Tournament?

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has meticulously updated his Bracketology projections for March Madness throughout this college basketball season.

Arizona and Houston have been among the top-tier teams in the NCAA, with the Wildcats expected to be a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance, and the Cougars, likely a No. 2 seed.

Lunardi projects six other Big 12 teams will make the NCAA Tournament. Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks and the BYU Cougars are also likely to get spots in the bracket on Selection Sunday.

Along with that, Texas Tech, Iowa State, UCF, and TCU should all have bracket placements in the NCAA Tournament. However, any other Big 12 team could catch fire and win the conference tournament to get themselves an automatic entry to the Big Dance.

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Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket and Schedule

Which Big 12 Teams Will Be in the NCAA Tournament?