5 takeaways from Big 12 schedule 2024 as FBS powerhouse welcomes 4 member teams

On Tuesday, the Big 12 announced its first 16-team football schedule for 2024, which includes four new members: Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah.

The schedule consists of nine conference games for each team, with an emphasis on geographic proximity and traditional rivalries.

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5 takeaways from Big 12 football schedule release

#1, BYU-Utah not on Thanksgiving weekend

The biggest takeaway and the one that most fans are annoyed with is that BYU vs. Utah will not take place on Thanksgiving weekend.

BYU will travel to Utah to play the Utes on Nov. 9, which is the first time since 2010 that the rivalry game will also be a conference game. The rivalry has been played 101 times, with the last meeting in 2021. The reason for the schedule change is unclear.

#2, Non-conference matchups

Two games are technically now conference games but won't count towards the conference standings.

Utah's Week 2 home game against Baylor and Kansas State's Week 3 home game against Arizona will not count toward the standings despite all four teams being in the Big 12.

The schools scheduled these non-conference games before Utah and Arizona joined the Big 12, so the conference will honor those.

#3, Kansas forced to play at different stadiums

Kansas will play home games off-campus

The Kansas Jayhawks are one of the favorites to win the Big 12, as on paper, many fans claim they have an easy schedule.

However, Kansas won't be playing home games on campus as major renovations are taking place at Memorial Stadium. With that, the Jayhawks will have their Big 12 home games at the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium. Their non-conference home games will be played at Children's Mercy Park.

#4, Colorado has a tough road schedule

The Colorado Buffaloes were the talk of the college football world last year as Deion Sanders took over as head coach. Colorado started the year 3-0 with upset wins over TCU and Nebraska but ended up finishing 4-8.

Now, heading into 2024, many are unsure how the Buffaloes will do this season, but Colorado has a tough road schedule they will have to overcome.

The Buffaloes will have to play Nebraska, Arizona, and Kansas, some of the hardest games on their schedule, all on the road.

#5, Utah starts off tough

The Utah Utes won back-to-back Pac-12 championships in 2020 and 2021, but in their first year in the Big 12, Utah has a tough start to their season.

The Utes will play Baylor, Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Arizona State in their first seven games, which could be their hardest games on paper. If the Utes can pick up those wins, Utah would immediately become the favorite to win the conference. But, if the Utes struggle, their playoff hopes would be over quickly.