They say pressure makes diamonds, and the addition of BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston has worked a gem in vaulting the Big 12 to one of the best in the NCAA. Those teams have added quality in the coaching and talent department, but they also bring different tactical approaches, which increases the conference's exposure to varied playing styles. Here is a preview of the upcoming conference tournament.

Big 12 Tournament begins on October 28 with no home field advantage.

Home Safe: Texas Tech & BYU

Heading into the opening game, Texas Tech and BYU are the two Big-12 teams guaranteed an NCAA bid regardless of how the conference tournament goes. Understandably so, with both teams ranked in the top seven nationally.

Work to Do: TCU, UCF, Texas

TCU, UCF, and Texas will likely need a deep run to the final to feel confident in an at-large bid. And with TCU and UCF matching up in the quarter-final, you can guarantee that only one of those two will have a chance at the NCAA tournament.

Win and In: Baylor, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, West Virginia

These are the teams who realistically would need to win the Big 12 tournament to qualify for the NCAA tournament. West Virginia is one to watch as a dark horse due to a recent run of five unbeaten and four wins.

First Round Preview:

No. 8 Baylor vs. No. 9 Cincinnati

The two teams met two weeks ago, and nothing gave in a 2-2 scoreline, but Cincinnati did need an 86th-minute equalizer after Baylor came back from down 1-0. It will likely be another tight affair, and with Cincinnati having played in 15 games decided by a goal or less, compared to nine for Baylor, Cincinnati comes in with more experience on what it will take to earn a narrow result.

No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Oklahoma

In this battle of two heated rivals who played as recently as October 23rd, where Oklahoma State scored an 83rd-minute game-winner, this promises to be a must-watch game. There is no predicting a victor here either, as that game saw both teams take an equal twelve shots with six on target. Oklahoma State won from a moment of individual brilliance from Alex Morris, and this game will likely rely on the same.

A Bedlam celebration@alexmorris_5 puts us up on the Sooners late#EarnIt #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/KPRQxwfSSP

— OSU Cowgirl Soccer (@CowgirlFC) October 24, 2023

Quarter Finals Preview:

No. 4 Texas vs. No. 5 West Virginia

When these two teams met in late October, West Virginia kept Lexi Missimo quiet and earned a 0-0 result. It is no easy feat shutting down the number one ranked player in the country, but when you do, the Texas offense tends to struggle. The Longhorns are 12 and 2 when Missimo records a goal or an assist and are 0-2-2 when she does not. The same is true for the team’s other superstar, Trinity Byars, with Texas winless in the three games where she has not scored or assisted. And with West Virginia goalkeeper Kayza Massey recording five Big 12 clean sheets, the second most in the conference, this is clearly a defensive unit that knows how to shut down superstars.

No. 1 Texas Tech vs. Winner of Baylor/Cincinnati

Texas Tech will not care who makes it out of this game, having beaten Baylor 2-0 and Cincinnati 3-0 during conference play. The defensive unit is this team’s strength, and neither Baylor nor Cincinnati has shown a potent offense all season.

No. 2 BYU vs. Winner of Oklahoma State/Oklahoma

BYU will also feel confident regardless of its opposition, having defeated both teams by a combined score line of 5-0 in a 4-day period in mid-October. And with a rivalry game bringing extreme emotional and physical demands, BYU will also have an advantage in that regard.

No. 3 TCU vs. No. 6 UCF

In a game of two teams struggling for form, UCF has won just once in five, while TCU has won one from four. And with the two teams not playing in the regular season, there is no familiarity to rely on. Add that the loser of this game will have no chance at an at-large bid, and you have all the makings of a fascinating spectacle.

Final Notes:

• Texas Tech won its first regular season title in program history. Will now look to win first conference tournament since 2015.
• West Virginia will have a chance to defend the title.
• No. 7 Texas Tech & No. 4 BYU are the two nationally ranked Big 12 teams.
• Oklahoma seeking first Big 12 Title.
• BYU, Cincinnati, and UCF all make the conference tournament in their first Big 12 season.
• BYU comes in with the best offense, with 30 scored in 10 conference games.
• Texas Tech has the best defense, with four allowed in 10 conference games.
• Last season's Conference Tournament Offensive MVP, Trinity Byars of Texas, returns.
• Last season's Conference Tournament Defensive MVP, Emily Jane (EmJ) Cox of Texas, missed the entire season with an injury.
• Missimo of Texas leads with ten in-conference goals and 20 total.
• Brecken Mozingo of BYU leads with eight in-conference assists.
• Madison White of Texas Tech leads with seven in-conference shutouts and 11 total.
• Twelve TDS TOP 100 Players in Attendance: No. 1 Missimo (Texas), No. 6 Byars (Texas), No. 9 Mozingo (BYU), No. 15 Hannah Anderson (Texas Tech), No. 20 Ashleigh Williams (Texas Tech), No. 21 Olivia Wade-Katoa (BYU), No. 34 Laveni Vaka (BYU), No. 52 Alex Kerr (Texas Tech), No. 59 Izzi Stratton (BYU), No. 65 Jamie Shepherd (BYU), No. 67 Gracie Brian (TCU), No. 86 Jilly Shimkin (Texas).
• Six TDS Top 100 Freshmen in Attendance: No. 3 Samantha Courtwright (Texas Tech), No. 9 Laudan Wilson (Oklahoma State), No. 30 Carly Montgomery (Texas), No. 69 Lynette Hernaez (BYU), No. 92 Arianna Brothers (Texas), No. 96 Avery Clark (Texas).
• The semifinals are November 1, and the final is on November 4.