Top 3 conferences that have produced the most NBA MVP's ft. Big Ten

With the naming of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the 2025 NBA MVP, the SEC's members can now claim six league MVP winners. But that's just outside the range of the three leagues with the most MVP credentials. It is worth noting that these rankings would have looked completely different when these teams played. After all, the Big Ten is in this list solely because of UCLA.

While the Bruins were in the Pac-12 when most of their stars played there, we're considering the college hoops landscape as it exists now. In reality, most of the NBA's MVP awards are won by a handful of the same players. Here's a rundown on the three most productive college hoops leagues in terms of having produced NBA MVPs.

Top 3 conferences whose members produced NBA MVPs

Michael Jordan and Coach Roy Williams could be chuckling about this all-time NBA MVP total: Michael Jordan 5, Duke 0. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

3. Big 12 (8)

The Big 12 faring well isn't too surprising, nor is the fact that it's position on this list is due almost entirely to Kansas. The Jayhawks produced five MVP winners, with Wilt Chamberlain taking home four MVP trophies and Joel Embiid adding the other KU MVP.

The league's other winners are more varied, with Oscar Robertson representing Cincinnati, Hakeem Olajuwon representing Houston and James Harden hailing from Arizona State.

2. ACC (9)

Not dissimilarly, the story of the ACC is the story of North Carolina. The Tar Heels have produced six of the nine MVP winners from the ACC. Shockingly, hoops giant Duke has yet to produce its first league MVP. Admittedly, much of Carolina's success is the result of Michael Jordan, who claims five MVPs. Yes, Jordan has outwon the rest of the ACC combined.

Carolina also contributed an MVP winner in Bob McAdoo. Florida State's Dave Cowens won an MVP and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan picked up a pair of MVP awards.

1.Big Ten (11)

As noted above, this is a bit of a fluke of realignment. UCLA has produced eight of the 11 MVP winners. So yes, if UCLA itself was a conference, it would be in the top three of MVP winners. Much of that productivity is the result of Lew Alcindor, who changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and claimed six NBA MVP awards, which remains an all-time record.

The other UCLA winners are Russell Westbrook and the late Bill Walton. The only other Big Ten NBA MVP is Magic Johnson, who represented Michigan State while winning three MVP awards.

What do you think of the league rankings for most NBA MVPs? Can anybody hope to outstrip UCLA and the Big Ten? Share your take below in our comments section!