Big 12 Announces Scheduling Matrix for 16-Team League Starting in 2024

The 2023 football season has brought with it plenty of storylines — particularly in Stillwater — but with all the conference shuffling that is set to take place going into next year, the Big 12 is getting prepared.

The Big 12 will be a 16-team league starting in 2024 with the exits of Oklahoma and Texas and the additions of Colorado, Arizona State, Arizona and Utah. The league on Wednesday released its scheduling matrix for the 2024-2027 seasons.

With specific dates not yet finalized, here is a look at which teams the Cowboys will do battle with in conference play the next four seasons:

2024 — at BYU, at Colorado, at Baylor, at TCU, at Kansas State, Arizona State, Utah, Texas Tech, West Virginia
2025 — at Arizona, at Texas Tech, at Kansas, at UCF, Baylor, Houston, Kansas State, Iowa State, Cincinnati
2026 — at Arizona State, at Houston, at Kansas State, at Iowa State, at West Virginia, Colorado, Texas Tech, Kansas, UCF
2027 — at Utah, at Baylor, at Kansas, at Cincinnati, Arizona, BYU, TCU, Iowa State, West Virginia

The scheduling model was developed with a priority on geography, historic matchups and rivalries as well as competitive balance, the Big 12 noted in its release. During the four-year period, all teams will play one another at least once home and away.

There are some schools that will play each other every year with protected rivalries. Arizona and Arizona State will play every year. Those protected rivalries are: BYU-Utah, Arizona-Arizona State, Kansas-Kansas State and Baylor-TCU.

That’s a lot to take in, but let’s take a broad look at the Cowboys’ upcoming crop of games in the meantime.

The Cowboys play Kansas State, Texas Tech, West Virginia, Kansas and Iowa State three times across the next four years while every other Big 12 team is a home-and-home.

OSU fans looking to make trips to the mountains have a few opportunities in 2024 with games at BYU and at Colorado — trips that won’t happen again until at least 2028. The Cowboys also travel to Utah in 2027.

OSU will play the in Arizona in the 2025 and 2026 seasons with a trip to Tucson in 2025 before returning to Tempe in 2026.

The Cowboys won’t make it to Cincinnati until 2027, but the Pokes will host the Bearcats again in 2025.

After playing just one Texas school in 2023 (Houston), the Cowboys will play a trio of Lone Star State foes next season with games in Waco and Fort Worth and a home game against Texas Tech. OSU will play three Texas schools in 2024 and 2025 and two in 2026 and 2027.

Here is a look at the full matrix with a warning that it could cross your eyes:

OSU’s 2024 Schedule (Big 12 Dates/Order Not Finalized)

Aug. 31 — vs. South Dakota State
Sept. 7 — vs. Arkansas
Sept. 14 — at Tulsa
TBD — at BYU
TBD — at Colorado
TBD — at Baylor
TBD — at TCU
TBD — at Kansas State
TBD — vs. Arizona State
TBD — vs. Utah
TBD — vs. Texas Tech
TBD — vs. West Virginia