Basketball

Big 12 Conference delays Big 12 Mexico to 2025

Jul 12, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark speaks to the press during Big 12 football media day at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Big 12 Conference announced in a press release Tuesday that it would be delaying Big 12 Mexico – a project that was set to debut in 2024 – to 2025.

The release stated:

“Today, the Big 12 announced it will delay the launch of Big 12 Mexico, with a new target date of 2025. Since Big 12 Mexico was announced, a variety of major initiatives have been added to the Conference’s agenda – headlined by the onboarding of four new member institutions. The Big 12 will continue to build its brand in Mexico through its broadcast partners and remains enthusiastic about bringing the Big 12 to Mexico.”

When it was originally announced, the initiative was announced as including men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer and baseball in both regular season and exhibition games.

Kansas and Houston were set to face off in both men’s and women’s basketball regular season games to debut Big 12 Mexico at some point during the next season, while women’s soccer and baseball exhibitions had been planned for a later time.

The conference also expressed an interest in hosting a football bowl game in Monterrey beginning in the 2026 season. It would be the first bowl game ever played in the country.

“Mexico is a natural extension to the Big 12 footprint, and I’m thrilled to introduce Big 12 Mexico as the Conference’s first-ever international presence,” Commissioner Brett Yormark said in the initial release. “Through Big 12 Mexico, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in an international setting, and our Conference will have the chance to showcase our brand across Mexico.”

More information on the delay is expected to be announced at a later date.

@cyclonefanatic