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CFB's Big 12 2026 schedule release: The inaugural Union Jack Classic and five more games to circle
The sixteen college football programs in the Big 12 announced their 2026 schedules on Friday.
A conference with a growing platform that sees multiple trips across the Atlantic, there’s plenty of intrigue ahead of a season where more than one team will have ambitions of lifting a trophy and earning a place in the playoffs.
Here are six of the best matchups to keep an eye out for.
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Week 1: North Carolina vs TCU at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
The only Big 12 team in action the first weekend of the year, TCU heads to the Emerald Isle as the third team from the conference to play in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in the past two seasons.
The Horned Frogs will look a little different in 2026. Starting quarterback Josh Hoover has moved on to Indiana, paving the way for 4-star redshirt freshman Adam Schobel to assume the starting job.
Schobel is a legacy recruit at Fort Worth; his father and uncle both wore the famous purple before going on to enjoy pro careers. So hope is high at TCU that there won’t be a significant dropoff as a result of Hoover’s defection.
His first start will be at the Aviva Stadium in Ireland against a North Carolina program entering year 2 under Bill Belichick. The greatest-ever NFL head coach has found the transition to the college game a little harder than perhaps he anticipated, but he will be keen on a strong start in Dublin for an improved season in Chapel Hill.
Week 2: Iowa State @ Iowa: The Cy-Hawk Rivalry
With most rivalry games saved until the back-end of the season, I’ve always particularly enjoyed any in-state matchups that land in September or October. And one of the best in recent years has been the Cy-Hawk game between Iowa and Iowa State.
This rivalry game has been played 72 times, and the Hawkeyes have traditionally dominated the series. Boasting a 45-27 all-time record, Iowa boast the biggest win (57-3, 1985) as well as the longest streak - fifteen wins in a row from 1983-1997.
But that superiority was challenged during the Matt Campbell era. Campbell might be the greatest coach in Cyclones history, shrinking the gap between them and their noisy neighbours. In fact, Iowa State have won three of the last four contests.
With Campbell leaving for Penn State, the future in Ames is less certain. Jimmy Rogers comes in from Washington State - can he keep the good times rolling? And what of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, who shows no signs of slowing down at the ripe old age of 70? This game is always a must-watch.
Week 3: Arizona State vs Kansas at Wembley Stadium, London
Here. We. Go.
Big 12 football heads to the United Kingdom in Week 3 with the inaugural Union Jack Classic, the first-ever college football game to be held at Wembley Stadium. The Jayhawks and Sun Devils cross the pond on September 19th, bringing with them all the pageantry and tribalism of the sport with it.
Two seasons removed from a playoff appearance, Arizona State did well to get to 8-5 last year, considering the litany of injuries they sustained, particularly to quarterback Sam Leavitt, one of the best gunslingers in the game.
Next year, things will look different. Leavitt has left for LSU, and ASU have been active in the portal, bringing in a trio of four-star receivers to support presumed new starter Cutter Boley. Most importantly, the Sun Devils retained head coach Kenny Dillingham, a rising star who was the subject of interest for other jobs.
Kansas, traditionally a basketball school, is enjoying a more competitive era under Lance Leipold. 2025 was a disappointment, with the Jayhawks missing out on a bowl game. But the return of offensive mastermind Andy Kotelnicki has spurred optimism in Lawrence they can get back on track.
Two ambitious teams, both with talented coaches and new quarterbacks, are stepping out onto the famous Wembley turf. This is a seismic moment for UK college football fans.
Week 7: Kansas @ Kansas State: The Sunflower Showdown
Back-to-back mentions for the Jayhawks, who will head to Manhattan in Week 7 to face their fierce rivals. Kansas and Kansas State do not like each other; two historic universities in the Sunflower state, an hour’s drive from each other.
This is a series that has been played since 1902, and surprisingly, Kansas has the edge in it, leading 65-53-5. But the Wildcats have been the more dominant football team for some time, and are currently enjoying a 17-game winning streak.
The Jayhawks believed last year was their best chance of ending that skid, but were humbled in Lawrence. In 2026, they go up against a K-State team that has had a change of head coach - the retiring Chris Klieman replaced by Collin Klein, a Wildcat alum who was recently offensive coordinator at Texas A&M.
Klein is an unknown, this being his first HC role. But he has returning quarterback Avery Johnson to work with, who tore apart KU last year. Kansas, meanwhile, have brought in forty new faces via the transfer portal, with a big focus on experience. Is this finally the year they break the curse and get the win?
Week 10: BYU @ Utah: The Holy War
The Holy War might be one of the most underrated rivalry games in college football. Played in front of beautiful mountainous backdrops, whether in Provo or Salt Lake City, the drama on the field is as intense and as physical as you will find on any Saturday in the Fall.
Both Utah and Brigham Young University are Latter-day Saint institutions, with students often taking one or two years away from their schools to serve ‘missions’. This religious undercurrent makes for an easy rivalry nickname, but describing it as a war is eerily accurate.
Both of these programs traditionally build through the trenches. BYU will be on the radar of many after a strong 2025 season, where they came close to gatecrashing the playoffs. Tying down head coach Kilane Sitake to a long-term deal has set the Cougars up for long-term success, particularly with quarterback phenom Bear Bachmeier still with three years of eligibility remaining.
It’s all change in Utah after two decades under Kyle Whittingham. The Utes graciously moved on from their head coach in December, despite his not being ready to retire. Whittingham lands on his feet at Michigan, whilst Morgan Scalley earns his long-awaited promotion from offensive coordinator at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Utah feels like one of the schools outside the Big Ten and SEC that have the potential to become a leading program in the new era of the sport. But BYU are never far behind them. Honestly, just tune in for the mountains if nothing else - this game really is a spectacle both on and off the field.
Week 13: Arizona State @ Arizona: The Territorial Cup
One of the longest football rivalries, the Territorial Cup was created 127 years ago in 1899, awarded to the winner between Arizona and Arizona State. It is the oldest rivalry trophy in college football, and unlike other games of its magnitude, has never been played anywhere other than on one of the school’s campuses.
Fans in the Copper State - whether Wildcat or Sun Devil - are fiercely proud of their teams and this enduring rivalry game. Nowadays, a respectful conflict, things were much less cordial in the 1950’s when Arizona contested Arizona State’s bid to become an official four-year university.
The Wildcats have the edge everywhere you look in this series. They are 52-45-1 all-time, have the longest winning streak (11, 1932-1948) and even won last year behind the arm of quarterback Noah Fifita. In fact, Arizona have lifted the Territorial Cup on three of the last four occasions following a five-year barren spell.
Brent Brennan entered 2025 on the hotseat in Tucson after an inauspicious debut season, but thrived under the pressure, leading the Wildcats to a 9-win season.
We’ve already mentioned the changes in playing staff and how the Sun Devils are primed for another strong season. But both teams are led by strong head coaches with impressive recent track records, and with the game at the end of the season, titles and playoff spots could be on the line.
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