History was made on Thursday when the Big 12 presented a conference schedule for the 2024 through 2027 seasons – without conference mainstays Texas and Oklahoma.
The conference will lose the Longhorns and Sooners to the Southeastern Conference after this season, and will gain former Pac-12 quartet Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State, as well as Houston, Central Florida, Cincinnati, and BYU.
The Big 12, in effect, becomes “the Big 16,” although no conference name change has been announced.
Here’s their announced schedules, for those seasons: 2024-2027 Football Scheduing Matrix (PDF) – Big 12 Conference (big12sports.com)
A friend of The Football Beat – ESPN.com writer Dave Wilson – has a nice story on the new schedule unveiling here (Big 12 unveils 16-team conference football matchups through 2027 – ESPN), where he points out that each team will play nine conference games next year, in contrast to the SEC and the Atlantic Coast Conference, who will only play eight.
Of course, it marks the return to the conference of Colorado, who brings with it all the swagger of coach Deion Sanders, his two sons Shedeur and Shilo, defensive back / wide receiver Travis Hunter and a young roster that’s sure to get plenty of attention.
Throw that into the mix with a potential new rival for the Buffaloes in TCU, whom they beat this season in an upset in Fort Worth in the season opener, always-quotable Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, the offensive attack of an up-and-coming Arizona Wildcats program – there are so many new avenues for the Big 12, it’s an exciting time.
Wilson also correctly points out it’ll “reunite” on the football field rivals Utah and BYU, who haven’t played each other since the 2010 season.
