In the highly competitive landscape of college football, the Big 12 conference is no exception. With a nine-game conference schedule, teams must carefully navigate their matchups to maximize their chances of success. This season, several teams stand out for their particularly challenging or advantageous paths. Here's a breakdown of the conference schedules for each of the 16 Big 12 teams, ranked from the toughest to the easiest, and how these matchups could impact the conference race in 2026.
Tier 1: Big 12's Version of a Gauntlet
Arizona Wildcats: The Wildcats face a formidable start with a difficult conference opener against BYU in the second week. This contest could significantly impact the league race by November. Arizona also has to play at Texas Tech on Halloween and face TCU, Utah, and Arizona State in November, all at home, with a road game at Kansas State in between. This tough way to start and end league play makes Arizona a strong contender for the top spot in Tier 1.
Arizona State Sun Devils: The Sun Devils open Big 12 action with a tricky matchup against Kansas in England, but they have a favorable group of home games during Big 12 action. However, the bulk of their toughest games are on the road, including matches against Texas Tech and BYU, with a home game against Kansas State in between. The Sun Devils end the year with a road trip to face rival Arizona, making this a challenging schedule.
Cincinnati Bearcats: The Bearcats have only four home conference games, and two of those are in back-to-back weeks against Texas Tech and Utah in late October. This sets up a November slate where Cincinnati will be on the road for three of its final four games, starting with a road game at Houston and ending with a trip to Provo and facing BYU. This brutal back two-thirds of league action makes Cincinnati a strong contender for Tier 1.
Tier 2: Not as Tough, but Still a Grind
Baylor Bears: The Bears have one of the more difficult stretches in conference play, ending the regular season with a road trip to BYU, followed by a home game against Texas Tech, and finishing the year at Houston, all in consecutive weeks. Baylor only has four home Big 12 games, beginning with a matchup against Colorado to start league play, but also draws a tough road game at Arizona State before hosting TCU after a bye week.
Iowa State Cyclones: The Cyclones may struggle due to significant turnover, starting league play by hosting Utah, then playing at BYU and Arizona in back-to-back games with a bye in between. However, the back half of the schedule offers a mix of home and road games, with three inside Jack Trice Stadium. This balance could help Iowa State recover from its initial challenges.
Kansas Jayhawks: Kansas starts league play with a neutral-site game in England, which will challenge a team facing its share of turnover. They also have to travel to Utah, Kansas State, and TCU in a four-week stretch after facing Arizona State in that neutral-site contest. Outside of this, there might be a few wins to be had in league play.
Tier 3: Finding the Right Balance
BYU Cougars: BYU's schedule is designed to avoid having its most challenging games back-to-back. Arizona nearly knocked off BYU last year in Tucson and will be a tough league opener, while the road game at TCU could be tricky. However, there's a couple of weeks of nonconference play in between these contests. The back-to-back games at home against Arizona State and at Utah will be the Cougars' biggest two-week challenge in league play.
Colorado Buffaloes: The Buffaloes, who won just one conference game last season, will have the majority of their most difficult matchups at Folsom Field this year. This includes hosting Texas Tech and Utah, with a bye week in between, before Kansas State and Houston come to Boulder later in the year, sandwiched around a tough road trip to Arizona State.
Houston Cougars: Houston, a dark horse contender, won't play back-to-back home conference games at any point during the season. The Cougars have five Big 12 road contests, with the toughest coming right out the gate on a Friday league opener at Texas Tech. A visit to Utah a month later is also daunting, but Houston avoids BYU and has a favorable November schedule.
Tier 4: The Paths of Least Resistance
Kansas State Wildcats: The Wildcats were expected to be a Big 12 contender last year, but this season's schedule could provide some hope. They avoid Texas Tech, BYU, and Utah, even if they must host Houston and Arizona and travel to Arizona State and TCU. The toughest part is that the Wildcats play four of their final six games on the road.
Oklahoma State Cowboys: The Cowboys, who haven't won a Big 12 game in two years, have a schedule that shines for first-year coach Eric Morris. They only have four home league games and must play at Kansas State and Arizona State in November with a home tilt with Texas Tech in between. The first half of the league slate is less daunting, and Oklahoma State avoids BYU and Utah.
Texas Tech Red Raiders: The defending Big 12 champions play the majority of their games against projected contenders at home, starting with the league opener against Houston. This is arguably the toughest regular-season game on Texas Tech's schedule. If Morris and his incoming talent can turn things around fast, their matchups could be interesting.
In summary, the 2026 Big 12 conference schedule presents a variety of challenges and opportunities for each team. The rankings provided here offer a glimpse into how these matchups could impact the conference race, with some teams poised for success and others facing a steeper path to the top.
