The Big 12 just guaranteed college basketball fans several heavyweight showdowns

The Big 12 just guaranteed college basketball fans several heavyweight showdowns originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Big 12 released its men’s basketball conference pairings for the 2026-27 season on Thursday, and while game dates won’t arrive until later, college basketball fans already know one thing. The conference isn’t lacking marquee matchups.

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The newly announced schedule matrix revealed a collection of heavyweight showdowns that could ultimately shape the Big 12 title race and impact NCAA Tournament seeding across the country.

From Arizona and Houston renewing one of the sport’s fastest-growing rivalries to Kansas facing another gauntlet of conference powers, the road to a Big 12 championship looks as challenging as ever. And that’s exactly what fans have come to expect from arguably the deepest conference in college basketball.

Arizona and Houston remain the conference’s main event

If there was one matchup that immediately stood out, it was Arizona and Houston. The Wildcats and Cougars will once again meet twice during conference play, continuing a rivalry that has quickly become one of the best in the sport.

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These programs have split the last two Big 12 Tournament championships, with Houston winning in 2025 before Arizona captured the conference crown this past March. Both programs are expected to enter the season among the favorites to win the league, making their two regular-season meetings must-watch television.

There’s a good chance those games help decide the conference race.

Blueblood battles are everywhere

Arizona’s home schedule includes Houston, Kansas and Baylor, creating multiple opportunities for top-15 matchups. Kansas, meanwhile, once again finds itself facing one of the nation’s toughest conference slates. The Jayhawks will be challenged by Arizona, Houston, Baylor, BYU, Iowa State and Texas Tech throughout league play.

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The Big 12 has become unique…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/big-12-just-guaranteed-college-193645055.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-11 19:36:00

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