Big 12 Releases 4 Years Of Football Opponents For 16-team Conference, With Annual BYU-Utah Game – News18

The Big 12 on Wednesday released four years of football opponents for its newly expanded 16-team conference, including a yearly BYU-Utah game and an emphasis on other in-state rivalries.

The Big 12 adds Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah from the Pac-12 in 2024 while saying goodbye to Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners and Longhorns are joining the Southeastern Conference.

“As we look towards the future of this Conference, we are thrilled to introduce the first football scheduling matrix for the new-look Big 12,” Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. “In this model, competitive balance and student-athlete wellness was prioritized. Rivalries will be protected and new matchups will be introduced — the excitement and parity this Conference is known for will continue for years to come.”

Big 12 teams will play nine conference games per season and every member will play at least one home-and-home with the other 15 schools over the next four years. Dates of games will be released later.

The BYU-Utah rivalry is one of the most intense in college football, but the two have not competed in the same conference since they both left the Mountain West in 2011. The Cougars and Utes have played nine times since, though not this season — BYU’s first as a member of the Big 12 after being a football independent.

Next year’s BYU-Utah game is scheduled to be played in Salt Lake City. The rest of Utah’s home schedule includes Arizona, TCU and Iowa State.

The other annual protected rivalries in the Big 12 will be Kansas-Kansas State, Baylor-TCU and Arizona-Arizona State.

Colorado’s return to the Big 12 will be marked by home games against Utah, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Cincinnati. The Buffaloes were an original member of the Big 12 but left for the Pac-12 in 2011. CU announced its return to the conference this past summer in a move that helped trigger the demise of the Pac-12.

Arizona’s 2024 schedule includes home games against Arizona State, Colorado, Houston, Texas Tech and West Virginia.

Arizona State’s four home games will be against BYU, Utah, Kansas and UCF.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)