The Large 12 will transfer its championship recreation from a Saturday morning perch to Friday primetime in a transfer the league workplace mentioned “enhances nationwide publicity,” the convention introduced Wednesday as a part of its 2026 schedule unveiling.
The change will mark the primary time the Large 12 shifts its title recreation off Saturday. It’s additionally the primary time the Large 12 championship will air in primetime since 2010, when former member Oklahoma outlasted former member Nebraska. The title recreation will stay at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The league will roll out date tweaks — comparable to Friday and Thursday night time shifts — over the approaching weeks. Community selections and early-season kickoff instances will come within the spring.
Listed below are 5 different issues to learn about this yr’s 2026 Large 12 schedule.
Large 12 Convention Pronounces 2026 Soccer Schedulehttps://t.co/688qjoNDxA
— Large 12 Convention (@Big12Conference) January 21, 2026
Rivalries in every single place
The Large 12 has 4 protected rivalries, and three of the 4 video games seem on completely different weekends. TCU at Baylor and Kansas at Kansas State compete on Oct. 17, whereas BYU at Utah takes place on Nov. 7. Arizona State at Arizona closes out the season on its conventional Thanksgiving weekend date.
“Our technique round rivalry video games is basically this: There are some video games which were performed eternally and apart from actually Arizona-Arizona State have occurred in a number of elements of the season,” Scott Draper, the Large 12’s chief soccer and operations officer, mentioned on ESPNU. “The custom of enjoying Thanksgiving weekend isn’t one thing that numerous the video games that we name rivalries has occurred over a interval of years.
“Actually, they’re vital to the taking part colleges and their fan bases, nevertheless it’s vital that we showcase these video games in the very best home windows and the very best alternatives for the most individuals across the nation to see it.”
Glad returns and goodbyes
Baylor and Texas Tech will resume their rivalry on Nov. 21 in Waco, Texas, after not enjoying in 2025. The groups had competed yearly from 1955 by way of 2024, which spanned their memberships within the Southwest and Large 12 conferences. Texas Tech concludes its season on Nov. 28 at residence in opposition to TCU after not enjoying final yr for the primary time for the reason that Horned Frogs joined the Large 12 in 2012.
Conversely, Kansas and Iowa State aren’t scheduled to play for the primary time since 1931 after rotating off each other’s schedules. The surging Iowa State-Kansas State “Farmageddon” rivalry concludes the season on Nov. 28 in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones and Wildcats have performed yearly since 1917, however are scheduled to rotate off each other’s schedules in 2027.
Nonconference checks
Most Large 12 groups will take a look at themselves with main non-conference opponents early within the season, which kicks off with TCU assembly Invoice Belichick’s North Carolina squad on Aug. 29 in Dublin. Baylor travels to Atlanta to face Auburn on Sept. 5, whereas West Virginia performs Virginia on Sept. 19 in Charlotte, N.C.
Rivalries renew on Sept. 12 when Iowa State visits Iowa and Kansas performs host to Missouri for his or her first assembly in Lawrence, Kan., since 2005. Colorado travels to 2 Energy 4 opponents — Georgia Tech on Sept. 5 and Northwestern on Sept. 19. Oklahoma State and Arizona State face CFP contributors Oregon (Stillwater, Okla.) and Texas A&M (Faculty Station, Texas) on Sept. 12, the identical day Utah greets Arkansas.
In maybe the Large 12’s most outstanding nonconference recreation, Notre Dame travels to BYU on Oct. 17.
Texas Tech’s title protection
The Purple Raiders play host to Arizona State on Oct. 17 in a recreation that ought to impression the Large 12 championship race. Final yr, the Solar Devils handed Texas Tech its solely regular-season loss in Tempe, Ariz. This yr, the groups meet in Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech additionally hosts prime Large 12 challengers Houston (Sept. 19) and Arizona on Halloween.
In maybe the league’s most fascinating highway journey, the Purple Raiders will journey to Cincinnati on Oct. 24. Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for two,800 yards and 27 touchdowns final season for the Bearcats.
Large early checks
The league schedule debuts on Sept. 12 with Arizona visiting BYU in a rematch of one of many league’s greatest video games. In the end, BYU’s 33-27 double-overtime win determined the second participant within the Large 12 championship recreation. Each return high-level quarterbacks in BYU sophomore Bear Bachmeier and Arizona’s Noah Fifita, which might make this matchup equally as impactful.
On Sept. 19, Arizona State and Kansas transfer their regular-season contest to London, which is a part of the league’s worldwide technique.
