Brett Yormark claims Big 12 is the second-best basketball league behind NBA

The 2025 college basketball season is rearing its head, and the debate of conference supremacy rages. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yorkmark made a bold claim about his league with less than two weeks before his team’s season openers.

“We’re the second best league behind the NBA,” Yorkmark said during Saturday’s Kansas vs. Kansas State football game, via Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.

The Big 12 has six teams ranked in the preseason AP poll, and seven teams from the conference made the NCAA Tournament last season. In 2024, a conference-high eight teams made it to March Madness.

One of those teams ranked is Houston — the preseason No. 2 team in the country. Kelvin Sampson led his squad to a 35-5 record last season, making it all the way to the national championship game before falling to Todd Golden’s Florida team in the SEC.

Yormark’s claim will likely kick up some controversy, notably because the SEC had 14 of its 16 teams made the NCAA Tournament one year ago. Just six of those teams are ranked this preseason — the same amount as the Big 12. Additionally, Big Ten also has six teams ranked in the top 25, so the preseason rankings do not favor any conference one way or another.

Notably, both Texas and Oklahoma made the NCAA Tournament during their first seasons in the SEC. Both were longtime members of the Big 12 Conference who would have certainly boosted the conference’s NCAA Tournament presence if the two programs had not jumped ship.

The Big 12 has added more than a couple of programs to its ranks over the past couple of seasons to combat these departures. That includes Houston, as well as BYU who is the preseason No. 8 team in the country. Additionally, they’ve welcomed Cincinnati, UCF, Arizona (No. 13), Arizona State, Colorado and Utah to the conference as well.

Having Kansas basketball as a part of its conference tradition speaks for itself as well. The Jayhawks are considered a college basketball blue blood and are among the winningest programs in college basketball history.

Regardless of Yormark going to bat for his conference, the Big 12 will have to back up his statements on the court. The 2025 college basketball season kicks its full gear beginning next month, and the Big 12 will look to prove their worth on the national stage yet again. Yormark appears to have faith they can pull it off.