Big 12 Football Programs Place 290 Former Players on NFL Rosters

USA Today Network

Football 9/9/2026 8:07:10 AM

Big 12 Football Programs Place 290 Former Players on NFL Rosters

IRVING, Texas – The 2026 NFL season will officially kick off on Wednesday with the Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, and Big 12 Football programs will feature 290 former players on NFL rosters this season. The Conference has seen a nine percent increase of NFL players from Big 12 institutions since 2024, which was its first season as a 16-team league.

Utah, TCU, Cincinnati and Texas Tech lead the Big 12 with 30, 29 and 22 former players on NFL rosters, respectively. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, a former BYU Cougar, represents the Big 12 alumni in the NFL head coaching ranks.

Big 12 Football programs grew the Conference’s NFL representation after a historic 2026 NFL Draft, which included a Big 12-record 38 selections. The Big 12 had 11 players selected in the first and second rounds in April, tying its most in the first two rounds in 20 years.

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