Big 12 Conference Unveils Exciting 2026 Football Schedule

IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference has released its 2026 football schedule, which features all 16 programs playing nine conference games. Big 12 members will play a total of 13 non-conference games versus Power Four opponents and Notre Dame. The 2026 schedule is highlighted by the Conference’s global expansion with a pair of games in Europe, beginning with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on Saturday, Aug. 29 between TCU and North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland. Week Three will feature the Union Jack Classic, a Conference game between Arizona State and Kansas, at Wembley Stadium in London, England on Saturday, Sept. 19. Marquee non-conference games versus Power Four opponents on Big 12 campuses this season begin Week One when Cincinnati hosts Boston College. Kansas hosts Missouri, Oklahoma State welcomes Oregon and Utah faces Arkansas at home in Week Two before BYU hosts Notre Dame in Week Seven. Early Conference games begin in the second week of the season, with Arizona traveling to BYU before Houston plays at Texas Tech the following week. Annual Big 12 rivalry games are scheduled to begin in Week Seven with the Sunflower Showdown between Kansas and K-State in Manhattan, as well as TCU at Baylor. BYU and Utah will meet in Salt Lake City during Week Seven before the Territorial Cup between Arizona and Arizona State in Tucson during Thanksgiving week. The 2026 Big 12 Football Championship will be played Friday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, launching a new Friday-Saturday rotation that enhances national exposure. Big 12 television partners ESPN, FOX Sports and TNT Sports will make their selections for the first three weeks of the season at a later date, which will be the first set of kickoff times released. Select Saturday games in the 2026 season may be moved to select Fridays, other special dates, and Black Friday, which will be announced in the coming weeks.