We’re one full day into March Madness, and there’s already been plenty of action on the court, with 16 more games set to grace your televisions and computer screens on Friday.
Few conferences have the power at the top of the league that the Big 12 possesses, though it has been a quiet start to the tournament for the conference. No Big 12 teams were relegated to the First Four, and just three played on Thursday. The remaining five of the conference-record eight programs will be in action on Friday, including No. 1 seed Arizona. No. 2 Houston, last year’s national runner-up, No. 2 Iowa State and No. 4 Kansas are the league’s favorites to cut down the nets in a few weeks.
They’re joined in the field by No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 6 BYU, No. 9 TCU and No. 10 UCF, though the Cougars have already been eliminated, likely ending the impressive college run of AJ Dybantsa.
The East Region is the most heavily populated by Big 12 teams, though the Jayhawks are the highest seed in that quadrant. Houston is alone in the South, Arizona heads up the West and the Midwest features a pair of Big 12 teams, most notably Iowa State.
Big 12 record in NCAA tournament after day one of the first round
Just three Big 12 teams were in action on Thursday, and two of them came out victorious, putting the league’s record at 2–1 entering Friday’s games.
No. 9 TCU opened the Big Dance with a dramatic 66–64 win over No. 8 Ohio State, outlasting the Big Ten program in a back-and-forth contest. Micah Robinson led the Horned Frogs with 18 points, knocking down 4-of-6 shots from deep, while David Punch had 16 points and 13 rebounds. No. 2 Houston made easy work of No. 15 Idaho, opening up a 24-point lead at the half and cruising to a 78–47 win.
It wasn’t all pretty, however, as No. 6 BYU dropped its game against No. 11 Texas. Dybantsa flashed his impressive potential in what was likely his final game with the Cougars, scoring 35 with 10 rebounds, though he was just 1-for-7 from deep and turned the ball over five times in the loss. BYU shot just 18% fro three-point range on the day.
Which Big 12 teams are still alive?
Along with TCU and Houston, who advanced on Thursday, five more Big 12 teams are in action on Friday.
No. 5 Texas Tech, which has been hampered by the season-ending injury to JT Toppin, takes on a dangerous Akron squad, a No. 12 seed out of the MAC. No. 1 Arizona tips off shortly afterwards, against a fired-up No. 16 Long Island squad that will look to ride the “Fins Up” wave to a historic upset. No. 2 Iowa State tips off around 2:50 p.m. against No. 15 Tennessee State. No. 10 UCF is an underdog in another Big Ten-Big 12 matchup, taking on No. 7 UCLA. No. 4 Kansas is out in San Diego, taking on No. 13 California Baptist during the late night games.
Big 12 March Madness schedule
Below are all the details available for the seven remaining Big 12 teams’ upcoming games on Friday and Saturday. All times are ET. Big 12 programs are in bold. The full men’s NCAA tournament schedule and TV lineup is available here.
| Game | Date | Time | Location | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron | Friday, March 20 | 12:40 p.m. | Tampa | truTV |
| No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 LIU | Friday, March 20 | 1:35 p.m. | San Diego | TNT |
| No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State | Friday, March 20 | 2:50 p.m. | St. Louis | CBS |
| No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF | Friday, March 20 | 7:25 p.m. | Philadelphia | TBS |
| No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 California Baptist | Friday, March 20 | 9:45 p.m. | San Diego | CBS |
| No. 1 Duke vs. No. 9 TCU | Saturday, March 21 | 5:15 p.m. | Greenville, S.C. | CBS |
| No. 2 Houston vs. No. 10 Texas A&M | Saturday, March 21 | 6:10 p.m. | Oklahoma City | TNT |
Biggest Wins and Most Disappointing Losses
TCU scored the biggest win for the Big 12 on Thursday, with its impressive afternoon game against Ohio State, a Big Ten squad that played its way into the field with a strong showing down the stretch of the regular season. The Horned Frogs earned a date with No. 1 overall seed Duke, but should feel pretty confident after seeing how the Blue Devils struggled with Siena.
The most disappointing loss was the only loss for the Big 12 on Thursday, BYU’s defeat at the hands of Texas. The Cougars had not played well down the stretch, so it wasn’t a terrible surprise to see them bow out of the tournament early. Even so, it is disappointing for the average viewer as well, as we no longer get to see Dybantsa play in the Big Dance.
How the Big Ten Compares to other conferences in the 2026 NCAA tournament
At 2–1, the Big 12 is in the middle of the pack among Power 5 conferences, though it is early and the leagues haven’t truly separated themselves yet. The SEC is off to the best start at 5–1, while the Big Ten is 4–2 and the ACC is at a disappointing 2–3, with two of its teams dropping out in the First Four and North Carolina suffering an upset loss to VCU. The Big East has not yet played a game.
The Atlantic 10 is the class of the mid-majors so far, at 2–0.
More March Madness from Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Big 12 Record in March Madness 2026 After Thursday’s First Round NCAA Tournament Games.
