Future Big 12 FB Opponents/Schedule Announced

NFL teams don't all play and our conferences are heading for 22ish teams to their 32. They even play some teams twice to play others zero.

Some of you who aren't familiar would loooooooove how European soccer works. Most leagues around 20 teams, identical home and away 38 game schedule for all. Top teams gain entry into Champions League/Europa Cup (all of europe tournament and like an NIT, both the next year), bottom teams relegated to effectively AAA baseball and have to earn way back in.

Our football and basketball schedules during the previous 10 team era really did remind me a lot of the good parts of european soccer leagues but without promotion/relegation. The end result in football though combined with the annual game vs Iowa was schedules that are just harder than a program like ISU ever needed, our program didn't need a top 10 schedule so often and it took a toll some years. In basketball we could hang with it, in fb it has been a challenge.
But NFL teams have three teams that they play home/away every single year.

That was more my point. Sure everyone else rotates, but as a Cowboys fan I know that no matter what the schedule looks like, they are going to play the Eagles, Giants and Redskins. (I also know that no matter what, I'll be let down)
 
  • Haha
Reactions: VeloClone
The good - Holy **** next year's schedule is nice

The bad - Why are there only 4 protected rivalries overall? And why did 2 of them go to the PAC teams coming in?

The ugly - We're not going to play KSU, KU, or OSU every year? I know all 3 was a big ask but really, 0 of them? Not even West Virginia or Colorado? Maaaaan that bites.
 
But NFL teams have three teams that they play home/away every single year.

That was more my point. Sure everyone else rotates, but as a Cowboys fan I know that no matter what the schedule looks like, they are going to play the Eagles, Giants and Redskins. (I also know that no matter what, I'll be let down)

Yeah I think I misunderstood. The unique thing is the multiple games with that team while others are totally left off schedule for years. It favors regionality over even schedules.

I do think what B12 is doing will result in even schedules but only over a 4-6 year period. There is going to be some wild variance year to year.

If 2-3 consistent powers emerge (or 2-3 hopeless punching bags) even the handful of protected rivals could affect that a little and ISU would become a "middle" team in terms of SOS by having no rival at all.
 
Last edited:
Still could've lost Farmageddon, but you could've given the whole league a protected rival which would've been kind of cool.

AZ/ASU
BYU/UU
CU/ISU
KU/KSU
OSU/TT
BU/TCU
UC/WVU
UH/UCF

I'm surprised they didn't do UC/WVU since WVU has been on such an island since joining.

They probably realize Pitt will be in soon anyway and maybe they'll add that as a rivalry.
 
Still could've lost Farmageddon, but you could've given the whole league a protected rival which would've been kind of cool.

AZ/ASU
BYU/UU
CU/ISU
KU/KSU
OSU/TT
BU/TCU
UC/WVU
UH/UCF
My assumption is that we'll at least get either Colorado or Oklahoma State for our new basketball rival now instead of BYU, which didn't make a ton of sense

KU/KSU
TCU/BU
WVU/Cincy
UCF/Houston
Arizona/ASU
BYU/Utah
Tech/OSU
ISU/CU

Could flip the last 2 a few different ways
 
  • Like
Reactions: BACyclone
But NFL teams have three teams that they play home/away every single year.

That was more my point. Sure everyone else rotates, but as a Cowboys fan I know that no matter what the schedule looks like, they are going to play the Eagles, Giants and Redskins. (I also know that no matter what, I'll be let down)

This is exactly the point. NFL teams do have a home/home with their 4-team division. But at the same time, this model means your team can go multiple years without playing a particular team from their conference ONE time (regular season).

The Big 12 went the other direction, to shorten the off years between playing the games among every potential opponent.

This should be no surprise. If you listen to JP on any show on this topic, the Big 12 has and will continue to make harmony and comradery within the conference a very high priority.
 
This is exactly the point. NFL teams do have a home/home with their 4-team division. But at the same time, this model means your team can go multiple years without playing a particular team from their conference ONE time (regular season).

The Big 12 went the other direction, to shorten the off years between playing the games among every potential opponent.

This should be no surprise. If you listen to JP on any show on this topic, the Big 12 has and will continue to make harmony and comradery within the conference a very high priority.

That's why I'm coming around after an initial WTF reaction.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BACyclone
You knew Colorado would be playing at UCF next year due to coach Prime and Colorado's listed reasoning of joining the Big 12 of playing in Florida, Texas, and more exposure start times.
 
Let me tell the young folks about the 90's...

I was there, Gandalf, three thousand years ago...

in 1995 (or maybe 97?). Bought last minute corner seats for me and my very young son. Made a special trip, gonna be a fun dad/son day. And watched ISU just get throttled to death. Awful.
 
  • Winner
Reactions: HFCS
Penn State doesn't have a protected rival in the Big 10. Georgia Tech doesn't have a protected rival in the ACC. Now 8 teams won't have a protected rival in the Big 12. That makes sense as far as ISU goes as we aren't even contiguous to another Big 12 state. I like that we still have semi-protected rivals in KU, KSU, OSU and even WVU. Plus I don't mind playing an extra game against Cincinnati and UCF.
 
Penn State doesn't have a protected rival in the Big 10. Georgia Tech doesn't have a protected rival in the ACC. Now 8 teams won't have a protected rival in the Big 12. That makes sense as far as ISU goes as we aren't even contiguous to another Big 12 state. I like that we still have semi-protected rivals in KU, KSU, OSU and even WVU. Plus I don't mind playing an extra game against Cincinnati and UCF.

It's not bad. I think it was just very unexpected.
 
Winning conference games is meh to this guy unless it’s Texas/Oklahoma. Got it
No, but I definitely will miss playing them and Nebraska, Missouri, etc. you telling me you’re more excited about UCF and TCU than those schools?
 
We have some quality road trip games in the next couple of years, 2024 Utah and WV, 2025 Colorado, 2026 Arizonia and BYU, all those should be fun trips. If you have never been to WV its beats the hell out of any of the Texas schools to road trip to, and we have been to them all but TT.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: nrg4isu