The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

The top four teams in final regular season standings will receive byes into the second round.

[1] The Big 12 tournament was first played in 1997 at All Sports Stadium in Oklahoma City, before moving to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark the following year.

Beginning in 1999, the tournament expanded to eight teams and followed the format of the College World Series.

It consisted of two 4-team double-elimination brackets, with the winners facing off in a final championship game.