The Big 12 ‘s Board of Directors announced a scheduling model that makes way for football this season.
Featuring nine conference contests and an additional non-conference game, Big 12 is mandating teams to play non-conference games at home, differing the ACC restricted non-conference games to in-state schools, whereas the Big 12 is mandating teams play non-conference games at home.
With the Big 12 announcing these modifications, every Power Five conference has outlined plans to move forward with this season. Each plan concentrates on conference games, with the Pac-12, Big Ten and SEC turning to conference-only schedules. Each plan also assumes it will be safe to have a season.
An exact date for the start of the Big 12 season has not been determined yet. The league said in a statement conference play will likely begin “sometime between mid- to late-September” and that it expects non-conference games to take place before then.
“I would like to salute the work of our university presidents and chancellors, athletics directors, coaches, medical advisors and administrators who have worked tirelessly and collaboratively during these extraordinary times,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in the conference’s statement.
The Big 12’s decision — combined with the scheduling formats other Power Five conferences have outlined — eliminates some high-profile matchups. There will be no rematch between LSU and Texas, which resulted in a LSU win last season and pushed the Tigers to an undefeated campaign. Among other notable games to be canceled are West Virginia and Florida State, Baylor and Ole Miss and Oklahoma and Tennessee.
“We believe this change provides the best opportunity going forward,” Bowlsby said. “However, we will undoubtedly need to be flexible as we progress through the season in order to combat the challenges that lie ahead.”