It’s time: BYU’s Big 12 basketball schedules are set
Harold Mitchell/Special to the Herald
BYU's Jaxson Robinson (2) dribbles against a Loyola Marymount defender during a men's college basketball game at the Marriott Center on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
Courtesy BYU Athletics
BYU’s Kaylee Smiler (11) drives past a Pepperdine defender during a women’s college basketball game on Saturday, January 14, 2023.
Over the years the BYU men’s basketball program has had a difficult time convincing teams from power conferences to play in the Marriott Center.
Too much risk, not enough reward.
That’s all in the past now.
The Cougars are full-fledged members of the Big 12 and on Tuesday the league announced the 18-game conference schedule, nine of those games in Provo.
BYU’s first Big 12 game will come against another newcomer to the league, Cincinnati, on Saturday, Jan. 6, in the friendly confines of the Marriott Center. It will mark the first meeting between the two programs in Provo and first meeting overall since the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
The Cougars hit the road for two straight, beginning with a trip to Waco, Texas to face off against Baylor on Jan. 9. They will play a true road game in the Eastern Time Zone for the first time since Nov. 15, 2017 on Jan. 13 when they take on UCF in Orlando, Fla.
They return home to Provo for three of their next four games beginning on Jan. 16 when they host Iowa State. A trip to West Texas to face Texas Tech on Jan. 20 is followed by consecutive homes games against Houston (Jan. 23) and Texas (Jan. 27). The Longhorns will be making their third trip to the Marriott Center and first since November 29, 1974.
BYU makes the trek to West Virginia on Feb. 3 for the first time since 1947 to face the Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum. They finish the road trip three days later against Oklahoma on Feb. 6.
They welcome Kansas State to Provo on Feb. 10 for the second time in program history and first since the two teams opened the Marriott Center on Dec. 3, 1971. UCF makes the return trip to BYU on Feb. 13 before the Cougars make a trip to Stillwater, Okla., for the first time since 1971 on Feb. 17.
A home game on Feb. 20 against Baylor (and a homecoming for former Cougar Caleb Lohner) is followed by two straight road games in the Sunflower State. They face Kansas State on Feb. 24 before making the trip to Allen Fieldhouse for the first time since Dec. 20, 1960 to face Kansas on Feb. 27.
BYU will look to extend its win streak over TCU to 17 games when the Horned Frogs and Cougars faceoff in Provo on March 2. They hit the road one final time on March 6, making the return trip to ISU before hosting OSU on Senior Day on March 9.
The Big 12 Conference Tournament will take place on March 12-16 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
BYU women’s basketball gets Big 12 schedule
The Big 12 Conference released the 18-game conference slate for BYU women’s basketball’s maiden voyage as a member of the conference on Tuesday morning.
“This Big 12 schedule is going to be a gauntlet,” said Amber Whiting, BYU head coach. “We have a great team that has worked extremely hard this summer to build the chemistry needed to be ready to face this challenge head-on. There are going to be challenges that come during the conference season, and I am excited to see how our women respond and improve because of it.”
Highlights of the women’s schedule include opening Big 12 play on the road at former Mountain West Conference foe TCU on Dec. 30 before returning to Provo for the home opener against Oklahoma and Iowa State on Jan. 3 and 6.
BYU will embark on its longest road trip of the season on Feb. 10, as the team heads to Cincinnati before going even further east to take on the UCF Knights in Orlando.
The Cougars will also play at Texas against former Cougar Shaylee Gonzales to end the regular season on March 2.
The Big 12 Conference Tournament will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, March 7-12, 2024.
2023-24 BYU Men’s Basketball Schedule
Preseason
Wednesday, Nov. 1 Life Pacific (exhibition), 7 p.m. MT
Monday, Nov. 6 Houston Christian, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Friday, Nov. 10 San Diego State, TBA
Wednesday, Nov. 15 SE Louisiana, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Nov. 18 Morgan State, TBA (ESPN+)
Vegas Showdown
Thursday, Nov. 23 Arizona State, 10 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
Friday, Nov. 24 NC State/Vanderbilt, TBA (ESPN2)
Friday, Dec. 1 Fresno State at Delta Center, TBA (ESPN+)
Thursday, Dec. 5 Evansville, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Dec. 9 at Utah, TBA
Wednesday Dec. 13 Denver, TBA (ESPN+)
Saturday, Dec. 16 Georgia State, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Friday, Dec. 22 Bellarmine, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Dec. 30 Wyoming, TBA (ESPN+)
Big 12 Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 8 Cincinnati, 8 p.m. MT (ESPN2/U)
Tuesday, Jan. 9 at Baylor, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Jan. 13 at UCF, 2 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Tuesday, Jan. 16 Iowa State, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Jan. 20 at Texas Tech, TBA (ESPN2/U)
Tuesday, Jan. 23 Houston, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Jan. 27 Texas, noon MT (ESPN2)
Saturday, Feb. 3 at West Virginia, 4 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Oklahoma, 6 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Feb. 10 Kansas State, 8 p.m. MT (ESPN2/U)
Tuesday, Feb. 13 UCF, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, Feb. 17 at Oklahoma State, noon (ESPN+)
Tuesday, Feb. 20 Baylor, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN2/U)
Saturday, Feb. 24 at Kansas State, noon (ESPN+)
Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Kansas, 6 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, March 2 TCU, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Wednesday, March 6 at Iowa State, 6 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Saturday, March 9 Oklahoma State, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
2023-24 BYU Women’s Basketball Schedule
Preseason
Wednesday, Nov. 1 Westminster (exhibition), 3 p.m. MT
Tuesday, Nov. 7 at Montana State, 11 a.m. MT
Friday, Nov. 10 Weber State, 11 a.m. MT
Tuesday, Nov. 14 Utah Valley, 7 p.m. MT
North Shore Showcase (BYU-Hawaii)
Saturday, Nov. 18 vs. Wake Forest, 4:30 p.m. HT
Tuesday, Nov. 21 vs. Saint Louis, 3 p.m. HT
Saturday, Nov. 25 LMU, 2 p.m. MT
Tuesday, Nov. 28 at Wyoming, 6:30 p.m. MT
Saturday, Dec. 2 at Utah, TBD
Tuesday, Dec. 5 Utah State, 3 p.m. MT
Saturday, Dec. 9 Boise State, 2 p.m. MT
Saturday, Dec. 16 Idaho State, 2 p.m. MT
Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield, Mo.
Wednesday, Dec. 20 Missouri State, TBD
Thursday, Dec. 21 Nevada, TBD
Big 12 Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 30 at TCU
Wednesday, Jan. 3 Oklahoma
Saturday, Jan. 6 Iowa State
Wednesday, Jan. 10 at Houston
Saturday, Jan. 13 Cincinnati
Wednesday, Jan. 17 at Oklahoma State
Saturday, Jan. 20 Texas Tech
Saturday, Jan. 27 at Kansas State
Wednesday, Jan. 31 at Kansas
Saturday, Feb. 3 West Virginia
Wednesday, Feb. 7 Baylor
Saturday, Feb. 10 at Cincinnati
Tuesday, Feb. 13 at UCF
Saturday, Feb. 17 Kansas
Wednesday, Feb. 21 TCU
Saturday, Feb. 24 at Iowa State
Wednesday, Feb. 28 Houston
Saturday, March 2 at Texas
March 7-12 Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City
