Big 12 chief marketing officer Tyrel Kirkham is one of the league employees tasked with modernizing the conference. In 2022, the conference partnered with the clothing line Bathing Ape in a logo on the field at AT&T Stadium for the Big 12 football championship game, though that didn’t take up quite as much real estate.

Flamboyant court designs are nothing new in college basketball. Oregon's pine trees, Memphis' tiger stripes, Oakland's dark court, and Florida Atlantic's palm trees. Schools aren't afraid to take big swings to deliver something unique,

Big 12 men's basketball tournament officially tipped on Tuesday morning — and fans are not happy with the court. The tournament is being played at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, and the Big 12 Conference decided to design a special court that features a dizzying array of "XII" covering the full 94 feet.