When it comes to determining the strongest basketball conference, it’s not just about depth—it’s about star power at the top and consistency throughout the league. Using two key metrics—Average National Rank and Average ADJeff Rating, a composite roster strength score—we’ve ranked the six major conferences for the 2025-26 season.
🏆 Conference Rankings
Rank
Conference
Avg Rank
Avg ADJeff
1
SEC
33.9
3.08
2
Big Ten
36.8
2.93
3
Big 12
43.6
2.84
4
Big East
58.2
2.60
5
ACC
58.9
2.60
6
Pac 12 (Future)
86.3
2.19
🔝 SEC & Big 12: Elite Top-End Teams
Rank
Team
Avg Rank
ADJeff
6
Kentucky
3.8
—
9
Auburn
3.8
—
12
Tennessee
3.3
—
16
Alabama
3.1
—
22
Ole Miss
3.4
—
SEC Avg
10.2
3.48
Rank
Team
Avg Rank
ADJeff
2
Houston
4.0
—
4
BYU
3.9
—
13
Iowa State
3.2
—
15
Arizona
3.4
—
17
Texas Tech
3.1
—
Big 12 Avg
10.2
3.52
🧱 Big Ten & Big East: Competitive Core
Rank
Team
Avg Rank
ADJeff
1
Purdue
3.7
—
7
Illinois
3.9
—
14
Michigan
3.8
—
18
Wisconsin
3.0
—
19
UCLA
3.4
—
Big Ten Avg
11.8
3.56
Rank
Team
Avg Rank
ADJeff
8
UConn
3.7
—
11
St. John’s
3.6
—
39
Creighton
2.6
—
45
Providence
3.1
—
51
Marquette
2.4
—
Big East Avg
30.8
3.08
🎯 ACC: Tradition, But Less Firepower
Rank
Team
Avg Rank
ADJeff
10
Duke
3.6
—
20
Louisville
3.5
—
25
NC State
3.3
—
27
North Carolina
3.2
—
37
Virginia
2.9
—
ACC Avg
23.8
3.3
🌄 Future Pac-12: A Few Anchors, Then a Cliff
Rank
Team
Avg Rank
ADJeff
5
Gonzaga
3.7
—
34
San Diego State
2.7
—
41
Utah State
2.8
—
56
Boise State
2.3
—
99
Oregon State
1.7
—
Top 5 Avg
47.0
2.64
The Future Pac-12 does have one legitimate national contender in Gonzaga, and San Diego State remains a tough out, but the drop-off is steep. Teams like Boise State and Oregon State rank well outside the top 50, and the overall conference average places it last among the Power 6. There’s simply not enough depth or high-end talent to keep pace with the rest.
🏀 Analysis: Strength at the Top
The SEC and Big 12 clearly dominate when looking at top-tier team strength. Each has five teams averaging a national rank in the top 22 and ADJeff scores near or above 3.5. The Big Ten may have the best overall top three—with Purdue, Illinois, and Michigan—but the SEC and Big 12 boast more depth in that upper tier.
Meanwhile, the Big East and ACC have a bit less consistency at the top and more volatility through the middle. The Future Pac-12, while competitive, clearly lags behind in overall and top-end strength, making it the weakest of the Power 6 for now.
