KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The sixth-seeded Kansas Jayhawks beat top-seeded TCU 1-0 to win the 2024 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship held at CPKC Stadium.

It is the program’s second Big 12 Championship title, winning its first during the 2019 season. The victory also marked a Big 12 milestone for KU head coach Nate Lie as he is the first coach in the league to claim the title in their first year.

With the score deadlocked 0-0 at the half, KU’s Makayla Merlo converted the game-winning penalty kick in the 66^th minute. It was the graduate senior’s first goal of the season.

The Jayhawks won four straight Championship games against Arizona State (2-1), West Virginia (1-0 2OT) Texas Tech (2-1) and TCU to clinch the Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Dating back to Conference play, the KU squad has won eight consecutive matches.

The Jayhawks claimed both Most Outstanding Players as junior forward Lexi Watts was awarded the Offensive honor while redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sophie Dawe earned the Defensive award after grabbing four saves on the night.

Kansas (13-5-4) and No. 7/6 TCU (16-3-2) will wait to hear their name called during Monday’s Selection Show. The Horned Frogs were named within the NCAA’s Top 16 in October, hoping to earn a Top 4 seed, while the Jayhawks make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.