Did ESPN forget about Kansas State football’s Big 12 championships?

Did ESPN somehow forget that Kansas State football won a share of the Big 12 in 2012? 

As the college football world tries to wrestle with another messy and monumental conference realignment that involves a couple of Big 12 schools who are looking to leave for the SEC, it’s probably pretty important to remember college football history.

That’s something that the folks behind one of ESPN’s most prominent shows forgot, apparently. Get Up, a two-hour-long morning show based in New York, featured a graphic that incorrectly showcased some of the history of Big 12 conference championships (just looking at football here, folks).

In the graphic, which is titled “Most Big 12 Conference Championships,” ESPN said that Oklahoma had won 11 conference championships (they’ve won 14), Texas had won three (which is accurate) and Nebraska had won two (also accurate but, for the graphic to be truly accurate, the Huskers should be tied with a couple of other schools).

Along with that, ESPN highlighted Texas and Oklahoma and, in a footnote, said that the Sooners and Longhorns had combined to win the last 11 conference championships, which is truly false.

So, there are a few pretty notable issues with the graphic.

You can take a look at a photo of the graphic which has been shared on Twitter by @EvryManAWildcat:

https://twitter.com/EvryManAWildcat/status/1420772911325933572?s=20

Kansas State football: ESPN graphic forgot multiple Big 12 champs, including the Wildcats and Baylor Bears

This thing is a mess.

First, let’s address the fact that Oklahoma has won 14 Big 12 championships, not 11. 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 (this one is shared with Kansas State), 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. 14 times. I’m not sure where they got the number 11 from.

Second, let’s take a crack at that footnote and how wrong it is. Let’s go through a brief timeline of the last 11 Big 12 conference champions real quick:

• 2020 – Oklahoma Sooners
• 2019 – Oklahoma Sooners
• 2018 – Oklahoma Sooners
• 2017 – Oklahoma Sooners
• 2016 – Oklahoma Sooners
• 2015 – Oklahoma Sooners
• 2014 – Baylor Bears/TCU Horned Frogs
• 2013 – Baylor Bears
• 2012 – Kansas State Wildcats/Oklahoma Sooners
• 2011 – Oklahoma State Cowboys
• 2010 – Oklahoma Sooners

If you got back another season, which would appropriately and somewhat ironically would be a 12th season, you’ll find the last time that the Texas Longhorns actually won the Big 12, all the way back in 2009.

Oklahoma State, Kansas State, TCU, and Baylor have all claimed a conference title more recently than the Texas Longhorns.

So, how on earth did ESPN forget the fact that the Kansas State football team won a share of the Big 12 in 2012? Did ESPN forget that Baylor and TCU’s conference championships happened as well? What about Oklahoma State?

Why would ESPN only put Nebraska on the graphic with two when both Baylor and Kansas State should be right there with the Huskers?

This shouldn’t be that hard, ESPN. This is simple stuff that basic research can verify.