The Big 12 Network (stylized as the Big XII Network) was a syndicated package featuring live broadcasts of College basketball events from the Big 12 Conference that was broadcast under that branding from 2008 until 2014. It was owned and operated by ESPN Plus, the syndication arm of ESPN, Inc., and was mainly shown in areas in the Big 12’s geographical footprint, along with other areas of the United States. Games were shown locally on broadcast stations, regional sports networks, as well as on ESPN Full Court, and WatchESPN.
History
The Creative Sports/OCC merger and the ESPN Plus years Beginning in 1996 after ESPN’s consolidation of Creative Sports (which ESPN owned since 1994 ESPN.com – TV LISTINGS – What is ESPN Regional TV?) and OCC Sports (acquired from Ohlmeyer Communication Company), ESPN Plus (also known as ESPN Regional Television) assumed syndication rights to Big 12 Conference men’s basketball games after the Big 8 Conference and the Southwest Conference merged to create the Big 12. Raycom Sports previously had syndication rights to basketball and football games of both those conferences from the 1980s until that syndicator lost the Big 8 in 1993–94, and the Southwest Conference merged with the Big 8 to become the Big 12 Conference in 1996.Company History – Raycom Sports Raycom Sports – Big Eight Conference Syndication Package – Promotional Brochures (1990–1996)Raycom Sports – Southwest Conference Syndication Package – Promotional Brochures (1991–1996)
The new branding Starting with the 2008–2009 season, all Big 12 Conference basketball game broadcasts from ESPN Plus began to be broadcast under the Big 12 Network branding."Big 12 Men's Basketball Television Frequently Asked Questions". Big 12 Conference.
Demise After the first 18 years of the conference’s existence, the Big 12 Network ceased operations in 2014 as all rights to Big 12 Basketball moved to the ESPN family of networks (e.g. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews).“Big 12 Network syndication coverage concludes after tournament semifinals”. Clones Confidential (Fan site of the Iowa State Cyclones), March 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2015. “Big 12 Network to Tune Out After Conference Tournament”. Kansas City Star (March 12, 2014). Several Big 12 basketball games also moved to the Texas Longhorns-oriented Longhorn Network, which was a joint venture between ESPN and the University of Texas at Austin that operated from August 2011 until Texas and Oklahoma officially joined the SEC in July 2024. However, CBS Sports does choose to broadcast at least two to three Big 12 games under their NCAA on CBS branding.
On-air personalities
College basketball Dave Armstrong – play-by-play commentator (2010–2013) Reid Gettys – color commentator (2010–2013) Mitch Holthus – play-by-play commentator (2010–2013) Bryndon Manzer – Big 12 Conference color commentator (2010–2013) Chris Piper – Big 12 Conference sideline reporter (2012–2013) Brad Sham – Big 12 Conference play-by-play (2010–2013) Jon Sundvold – Big 12 Conference color commentator (2010–2012) Rich Zvosec – Big 12 Conference sideline reporter (2012–2013)
Availability The Big 12 Network was available mainly in areas of the central United States, including much of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, eastern Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and western Arkansas. Other areas served by the Big 12 Network included parts of West Virginia, north-central and east-central Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and southern Pennsylvania, especially during the 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 season. This was true because in 2012, Texas Christian University joined the Big 12 from the Mountain West Conference, and West Virginia University joined the Big 12 from the original Big East Conference. In spite of the University of Missouri (along with Texas A&M University) leaving the Big 12 to join the basketball-powerful Southeastern Conference in 2012, some stations in Missouri, especially in the Kansas City, Columbia, St. Louis, and Joplin markets, either kept the local rights to the Big 12 Network or lost them to another station in their home market.
In addition to the listed areas above, three independent stations in California also carried the syndication package. Throughout the 2008–2014 branding period, some Big 12 Network stations also broadcast football games from sister syndicator SEC TV, which provided Southeastern Conference football games to certain stations, most notably including KTXA/Dallas, Texas and KDOC-TV/Los Angeles, California, although KDOC also broadcast SEC TV basketball games on a limited schedule. This was especially true to some former Big 12 Network partners that switched to or altered to and from SEC TV broadcasts.
Broadcast affiliates The following over-the-air broadcast stations broadcast the Big 12 Network:Big 12 Network Station List (2008–2009). University of Kansas Athletic Department.“2013–2014 Big 12 Network Television Package”. Big 12 Network.
Arkansas DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Fort Smith/Fayetteville KFTA-TV Fox KNWA-DT2 In-market repeater of KFTA-TV Little Rock KASN The CW affiliate until 2012 KARZ MyNetworkTV Affiliate from 2012 to 2014
California DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Los Angeles KDOC-TV Independent Affiliated 2011–2014 February 27, 2014 Host – 2014 NCAA Men s Final Four . Big 12 Conference, February 27, 2014. “Big 12 Network listings for Oklahoma at Baylor (Feb. 25, 2014)”. Baylor Bears. February 22, 2014. San Diego KUSI-TV Big 12 Network was aired on a limited schedule on KUSI due to SEC TV partnership; This station also serves Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico San Francisco/Oakland KOFY
Idaho DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Boise KTRV-TV MyNetworkTV Affiliate from 2013–2014
Illinois DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Chicago WLS-DT2 Live Well Network Ran Big 12 Network programming until 2012 Peoris/Bloomington WAOE MyNetworkTV Rockford WTVO WTVO-DT2 ABC MyNetworkTV Affiliation shared between two of WTVO’s main channel and DT2 subchannel
Indiana DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Evansville WTVW Fox (until 2011) Independent Now an affiliate of The CW since 2013 Indianapolis WHMB-TV LeSEA Became an affiliate in 2013 WHMB-DT2 2014 BIG 12 NETWORK BASKETBALL – Clearances for Texas Tech @ Kansas State. Big 12 Conference. January 2014. LeSEA Alternate affiliate in 2013–2014 WRTV-DT2 Hometown Sports Indiana WTTV The WB (now The CW) Affiliate until 2008; became a CBS affiliate in 2015 Licensed to Bloomington, Indiana Kokomo WTTK Full-time satellite of WTTV/Bloomington; became a CBS affiliate
Iowa DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Cedar Rapids KFXA Fox Davenport WQAD-TV ABC Licensed to Moline, Illinois Des Moines WOI-DT ABC Acquired from WHO-TV in 2008 WOI-DT2 Live Well Network (now with Laff) Ottumwa KYOU-TV FOX Sioux City KPTH-DT2 MyNetworkTV/This TV
Kansas DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Dodge City KSAS-LP Fox Satellite of KSAS-TV/Wichita as part of the region-wide network, “Fox Kansas” Garden City KAAS-LP Great Bend KOCW Salina KAAS-TV Topeka KTMJ-CD Relays signal to translators KMJT-LP/Ogden, KETM-LP/Emporia, and KTLJ-CD/Junction City Wichita KSAS-TV Flagship station of the Fox Kansas regional network
Kentucky DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Campbellsville (Louisville) WBKI-TV The CW Affiliate 2012–2014 Big 12 Network Latest Clearances (2013–2014 season). ESPN Events. January, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2015. OTA signal also serves portions of the Bowling Green market by default, and also reaches parts of the Lexington market Lexington WTVQ-DT2 MyNetworkTV Affiliate 2012–2014 Louisville WMYO-DT3 The CW Simulcast of WBKI-TV/Campbellsville since 2012 Paducah WDKA MyNetworkTV Simulcast on KBSI-DT2/Cape Girardeau, Missouri; both KBSI and WDKA shared Big 12 Network affiliation until 2012
Michigan DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Lansing WHTV MyNetworkTV Big 12 Network partner 2012–2014; licensed to Jackson, Michigan
Mississippi DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Meridian WTOK-TV WTOK-DT2 ABC MyNetworkTV Affiliate 2011–2014
Missouri DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Cape Girardeau KBSI Fox Alternating affiliation with MyNetworkTV outlet WDKA/Paducah, KY until 2012 Columbia-Jefferson City KMIZ-TV ABC Primary affiliate in Columbia until 2012 KZOU-LP MyNetworkTV Alternate affiliate in Columbia until 2012 KQFX-LD Fox Joplin, MO-Pittsburg, KS KFJX Fox Kansas City, MO-KS KSHB-TV NBC KMCI-TV Independent Alternate affiliate in the Kansas City DMA Springfield KYTV NBC K15CZ The CW Full-power simulcast on KSPR-DT2 St. Louis KTVI-DT2 Antenna TV Was a This TV affiliate when KTVI-DT2 first affiliated with the Big 12 Network
Nebraska DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Lincoln KLKN ABC Affiliate until 2012 Omaha KXVO The CW KPTM-DT2 MyNetworkTV / This TV Alternate affiliate
Ohio DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Toledo, Ohio WMNT-CD MyNetworkTV Youngstown WYFX-LD Fox Affiliate from 2012 to 2014 WKBN-TV CBS
Oklahoma DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Oklahoma City KAUT-TV MyNetworkTV until 2012 Now an independent station KOCB The CW Alternate affiliate for the OKC market Tulsa KMYT-TV MyNetworkTV
Pennsylvania DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Pittsburgh WPXI-TV NBC Affiliate 2012–2014 State College-Altoona WHVL-LP MyNetworkTV Affiliate 2012–2014
Puerto Rico DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Ponce WTIN-TV Independent Satellite of WAPA-TV/San Juan; also ran some SEC TV content San Juan WAPA-TV Mayagüez WNJX-TV Satellite of WAPA-TV/San Juan; also ran some SEC TV content
Texas DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Abilene KIDZ-LD MyNetworkTV Amarillo KCIT Fox KCPN-LP MyNetworkTV Alternate affiliate; simulcast on full-powered KAMR-DT2 Austin KBVO-TV MyNetworkTV KBVO-CD Low-powered translator of KBVO-DT Beaumont-Port Arthur KBMT ABC KBMT-DT2 NBC Branded as KJAC KUIL-LD MyNetworkTV Full-power simulcast on KBMT-DT5 Bryan-College Station KBTX-TV CBS Big 12 Network partner until 2012; semi-satellite of KWTX-TV/Waco Dallas-Fort Worth KTXA Independent This station also broadcast football games from Big 12 Net’s sister service, SEC TV; now broadcasts Atlantic Coast Conference sports programming from Raycom Sports-operated ACC Network Houston KUBE Lubbock KMYL-LD MyNetworkTV Now a satellite of KUPT/Hobbs, New Mexico Odessa-Midland KOSA-DT2 MyNetworkTV San Angelo KIDY-DT2 San Antonio KCWX Sherman, Texas-Ada, OK KXII-DT2 Tyler KTPN-LD Longview (Tyler) KLPN-LD Satellite of KTPN-LD/Tyler, Texas Waco-Temple-Bryan KCEN-TV NBC affiliated from 2013 until 2014 KCEN-DT2 Azteca America Alternate Big 12 Network partner 2012–14; Now a Cozi TV affiliate KWTX-TV CBS Original affiliate until 2012
West Virginia DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Bluefield, WVA-VA WOAY-TV ABC Charleston-Huntington WQCW-TV The CW Big 12 Net. Affiliate 2012–2014 Clarksburg WVFX FOX Parkersburg, WVA-Merietta, OH WTAP-TV NBC Affiliate 2013–2014 WTAP-DT3 MyNetworkTV Affiliate of Big 12 Net (2012) Now defunct WIYE-LD MyNetworkTV Affiliate of Big 12 Net in 2013 and 2014 Wheeling, WVA-Steubenville WTOV-TV NBC WTOV-DT2“Texas Tech-West Virginia Game Moved to Big 12 Network, ESPN3”. Texas Tech University Athletics Department (January 2, 2014). Me-TV Alternate Big 12 Network partner; now a Fox affiliate
Wisconsin DMA Station Main affiliation Notes La Crosse-Eau Claire KQEG-CA ION Television/AMGTV Milwaukee WMLW-TV Independent Affiliated 2012–2014
Wyoming DMA Station Main affiliation Notes Cheyenne KGWN-TV CBS Laramie K19FX-D Translator of KGWN-TV/Cheyenne
Online platforms and Regional sports networks