Big 12’s 2023 Men’s Tournament Stands as Highest-Grossing in Conference History

The ever-changing environment of college athletics often leads to questions about the stability of conferences, especially one like the Big 12 that’s undergoing such a drastic change in makeup.

On Tuesday, the Big 12 announced some positive news, at least from a financial perspective. This year’s Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament was the highest-grossing in conference history. “This year’s Basketball Championships saw significant growth over previous years, and I am thrilled with the results,” said Commissioner Brett Yormark in a press release with the news. He then added. “As we continue to reimagine our Conference Championships, our number one priority will always be to create value and drive revenue for our member institutions.”

Ironically, Texas, a staple program of the Big 12 for decades that’s scheduled to depart the conference for the SEC following the 2024 athletic year, won the 2023 tournament. This year’s tournament also came after an extremely competitive season that resulted in seven Big 12 teams reaching the NCAA Tournament and the conference earning praise as the deepest in the country, a claim also supported by most metrics.

Sights & Sounds from the 2023 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship 🏆

What a week in Kansas City! March Madness approaches.#Big12MBB x @Phillips66Gas pic.twitter.com/gyjuTG2zfY

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 13, 2023

The 70% of Big 12 men's teams selected for March Madness is the highest percentage of any Division I Conference 💪#Big12MBB x @MarchMadnessMBB pic.twitter.com/eLoBqqmqJG

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 13, 2023

Revenue was not the only way the conference experienced benefits from the Big 12 Tournament. Below includes other gains  from both the men’s and women’s tournaments.

• The 2023 Men’s Basketball Championship saw a year-over-year 38% increase in ticket revenue.
• The 2023 Women’s Basketball Championship saw a 20% year-over-year increase in ticket revenue.
• The new premium courtside seating sold out in advance of public sale – with four new institutions joining the Big 12 next season, courtside seats for the 14-team 2024 Basketball Championship currently have a wait list due to high demand and interest.
• The Big 12 Basketball Championships had over 76K mentions across social platforms and generated 1.3B impressions.
• From March 8 – 12, the Big 12 Conference social media channels generated 20 million impressions.
• The Conference gained 15,000 new followers across all social channels throughout the Championships.
• Total attendance for the Men’s Basketball Championship was 90,110, for an average of 18,022 per session, a 12.9% increase over last season.
• Total attendance for the Women’s Basketball Championship was 25,385 for an average of 5,077. This was a 24% year-over-year increase in average attendance.