Big 12 Basketball Has Plan For Future Scheduling Models

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Big 12 basketball will experience a change after the 2023-24 season.

Next year, the toughest league in America will move from a 14-team conference to a 16-team iteration.

Brett Yormark said that the future of Big 12 Basketball in the 16-team iteration will feature a 20-game in men's basketball.

18-game schedule for women's hoops.#Big12

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 17, 2023

The Big 12 will lose Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC. But they are adding four Pac-12 programs: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah.

For this year’s conference schedule, both the men and women will play an 18-game schedule. That’s nothing different than were doing before when they had a round-robin schedule with a 10-team league.

But the 16-team league will see an uptick in the amount of games for men’s basketball.

Brett Yormark announced at Big 12 Basketball Media Days that the plan beginning in the 2024-25 season is to play a 20-game schedule next year.

Why Big 12 women’s basketball will stay at 18 games

Big 12 women’s basketball will continue to play 18 games.

“It is looking like a 20-game conference schedule for me and 18 for women is in our future,” said Yormark.

Yormark notes the Big 12 women’s coaches selected the difference in schedules.

“Ultimately, it’s what the coaches were looking to do,” Yormark said. “As far as 18, you’re going to play three schools twice, 12 once, and there will be a bye week. That’s kind of where they settled. And the men decided a 20-game schedule.”

Geography is a “major priority” for Big 12 basketball

How those schedules are comprised in basketball will be interesting to watch.

Yormark points out, “Given recent expansion, scheduling and travel are major priority for us at the conference.”

Arizona State President Michael Crow pointed out in August that he wanted to see regional matchups as the Sun Devils move into the league. A western wing of the league could consist of Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, and Utah.

There’s definitely a new era for the toughest league in America.

Big 12 Conference members beginning in 2024

• Arizona Wildcats (2024 year joined the Big 12)
• Arizona State Sun Devils (2024)
• Baylor Bears (1996)
• BYU Cougars (2023)
• UCF Knights (2023)
• Cincinnati Bearcats (2023)
• Colorado Buffaloes (1996-2010; 2024)
• Houston Cougars (2023)
• Iowa State Cyclones (1996)
• Kansas Jayhawks (1996)
• Kansas State Wildcats (1996)
• Oklahoma State Cowboys (1996)
• TCU Horned Frogs (2012)
• Texas Tech Red Raiders (1996)
• Utah Utes (2024)
• West Virginia Mountaineers (2012)

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.

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