The Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship heads back to Kansas City in 2012, with Sprint Center hosting the league championship for the fourth time. All 10 institutions will participate with seeding based on regular season finish. The top six squads in the conference standings earn first-round byes as the event enters its first year with a 10-team format. The Big 12 Champion earns the league's automatic bid to the 65-team NCAA Championship field. The entire Big 12 Championship will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Full Court, ESPN3.com or the Big 12 Network.

Sprint Center is one of the region's premiere venues and continues to host more than 100 events a year, including concerts, family shows, special events as well as professional, collegiate and amateur sporting events. Built at a cost of $276 million, it opened on October 10, 2007 and seats more than 18,000 fans for basketball. It is also adjacent to the College Basketball Experience, which among other things, houses the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

2012 Championship Quick Facts

• Dates: March 7-10, 2012
• Site: Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
• Television: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Full Court, ESPN3.com and the Big 12 Network 

Kansas has won five of the last six postseason titles, including each of the last two years. Five squads have won Big 12 Championships in the league's short history, while nine of the 10 conference members can boast of some postseason conference crowns in their overall histories.

Big 12 Postseason Champions

• 2011 -- Kansas
• 2010 -- Kansas
• 2009 -- Missouri
• 2008 -- Kansas
• 2007 -- Kansas
• 2006 -- Kansas
• 2005 – Oklahoma State
• 2004 – Oklahoma State
• 2003 -- Oklahoma
• 2002 -- Oklahoma
• 2001 -- Oklahoma
• 2000 – Iowa State
• 1999 -- Kansas
• 1998 -- Kansas
• 1997 -- Kansas