While typical conference pride usually dictates that fans root for their own league members in the NCAA Tournament, Arizona’s run to the 2026 Final Four has exposed a massive rift in the Big 12. Instead of a united front, a strong undercurrent of jealousy and resentment has some fanbases actively rooting against the Wildcats.
The root of this bitterness is simple: Arizona is the new kid on the block, and they are already running the neighborhood. Longtime Big 12 fanbases pride themselves on surviving the most physical, cannibalistic basketball conference in America. Traditional powers like Kansas, Houston, and Iowa State spent months battering each other in a regular-season "meat grinder," only to watch the Wildcats waltz in from the defunct Pac-12 and sweep both the regular-season and conference tournament titles.
For fans of schools that suffered heartbreaking early exits in March, watching Arizona effortlessly steamroll their way to Indianapolis is a bitter pill to swallow. There is a palpable sense of jealousy that Tommy Lloyd’s squad didn't have to endure decades of Big 12 trauma to earn their spot at the top. Instead of feeling conference camaraderie, many rival fans view Arizona as an outsider hogging a spotlight that "rightfully" belonged to the league's legacy members.
As the Wildcats prepare to take on Michigan, don't expect a wave of Big 12 solidarity. For a large portion of the conference, rooting against Arizona isn't just about sports—it's about protecting their league's hierarchy from a dominant new invader.
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