With the NFL schedule release taking up so much energy around the sports world this week, it’s not too early to take a look at some of the best football games on the Big 12 schedule for this fall. There are so many excellent games to choose from, but here are five games that stand out ahead of the 2026 season.
North Carolina at TCU, Saturday August 29th, Dublin, Ireland
Another season kickoff game in Ireland for the Big 12! This time, it’s TCU “hosting” North Carolina. Sure, some TCU fans might be upset about giving up a home game, but this is a great chance to showcase the Big 12 in a stand alone game setting once again.
Last year TCU dominated this matchup at UNC. Both teams will look differently this year but the game should be closer than the 48-14 whooping the Horned Frogs put on the Tar Heels last year. This will be a great showcase for the Big 12, a stand alone game in Week 0 as the season gets underway overseas.
Arizona State at Kansas, Saturday September 19th, London, England, Wembley Stadium
There are a lot of question marks coming into the season for both of these teams. Perhaps things will be a little bit more clear over the summer. Both teams still need to figure out who their next starting quarterback will be. Arizona State head coach, Kenny Dillingham, and Kansas head coach, Lance Leipold, will have their teams ready to go for their first conference game of the season.
Honestly, and maybe I shouldn’t admit it, this pick is more about location than matchup. This game is huge for the Big 12 brand. Playing the first college football game in historic Wembley Stadium is incredible. Who thought the Sun Devils and Jayhawks would be the first teams to bring college football to Wembley? Not me, but it is going to be a fun game and will be a shining light on the Big 12 in September.
Notre Dame at BYU, Saturday October 17th, Provo, Utah
Catholics vs Mormons. This game will have a lot of hype surrounding it. For one, both of these teams feel like they were slighted out of the College Football Playoff last season. Notre Dame decided to decline a bowl invitation. BYU went on to beat Georgia Tech in the Pop Tarts Bowl 25-21 in what was one of the most entertaining bowl games last season.
Now, both of these teams are expected to be back in the fight again. Notre Dame has to prove themselves in these games so they don’t miss out on the College Football Playoff again. Meanwhile, BYU showed they have little room for error if they want to make the College Football Playoff as well. One loss outside of conference play and not winning the conference could cost them a spot. Even though the game will be played in mid-October, it could have playoff implications tied to it by the time the season comes to an end.
TCU at Texas Tech, Thursday November 26th, Lubbock, Texas
A Thanksgiving matchup between these two rivals. Texas Tech is seen as the favorite to win the Big 12 and the Horned Frogs would love nothing more than to play spoiler to the Red Raiders season.
If things are going well for both teams, this matchup could end up having Big 12 title game ramifications in the final weekend of the regular season. That’s all you can ask for when it comes to a rivalry game late in the season. Let’s hope this one can live up to the expectations and it could end up being one of the best games of the regular season in the Big 12.
Kansas State at Iowa State, Saturday November 28th, Ames, Iowa
Farmageddon is back on U.S. soil after taking a year of this rivalry overseas. This is one of the best games in the Big 12 every year and this year should be no different for two teams looking to compete near the top of the Big 12 standings.
Both teams will feature new coaches. Jimmy Rogers is coming in from Washington State to be Iowa State’s head coach and hoping to be a spark for the Cyclone offense that stalled at times in recent seasons. The defense has been there but if Rogers, who is known as a great recruiter around the Midwest, can put both sides of the ball together rowing in the same direction, the Cyclones could be a dark horse in the Big 12.
Kansas State brings back former Wildcats’ offensive coordinator Collin Klein as their new head coach. Klein had a lot of success at Kansas State as a player and coordinator, and most recently, as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M where he helped lead that team to a College Football Playoff appearance last season.
Iowa State and Kansas State will be working with a lot of new pieces but both teams will have high expectations going into year one under these new head coaches. If everything aligns for both programs, this game could have a lot of significance in the final weekend of the season.
While there are plenty of games to be highlighted throughout the Big 12 season, these five will be games you will not want to miss on the schedule.
