This Week in the Big 12
Thursday, September 1
Central Michigan at No. 12/11 Oklahoma State (FS1) 6:00 p.m. CT
Series: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: CMU won 30-27 at OSU on September 10, 2016.
West Virginia at No. 17/16 Pittsburgh (ESPN) 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET
Series: Pitt 61-40-3
Last Meeting: WVU won 21-20 at home on November 25, 2011.
Friday, September 2
Tennessee Tech at Kansas (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 7:00 p.m. CT
Series: First meeting
TCU at Colorado (ESPN) 9:00 p.m. CT
Series: First Meeting
Saturday, September 3
Southeast Missouri at Iowa State (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 1:00 p.m. CT
Series: First meeting
UTEP at No. 9/9 Oklahoma (FOX) 2:30 p.m. CT
Series: OU 4-0
Last Meeting: OU won 56-7 at home on September 2, 2017.
Albany at No. 10/10 Baylor (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 6:00 p.m. CT
Series: First meeting
South Dakota at Kansas State (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 6:00 p.m. CT
Series: K-State 5-0
Last Meeting: K-State won 27-24 at home on September 1, 2018.
Louisiana-Monroe at RV/No. 18 Texas (LHN) 7:00 p.m. CT
Series: UT 1-0
Last Meeting: UT won 59-20 at home on September 5, 2009.
Murray State at Texas Tech (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 7:00 p.m. CT
Series: First Meeting
All times are listed as Central. Rankings are listed as AP/USA Today
Conference News & Notes
The Big 12 begins the 2022 season with three teams ranked in the top 12 of both preseason national polls and 60% of teams rated or receiving votes. Ranked squads include No. 9/9 Oklahoma, No. 10/10 Baylor, No. 12/11 Oklahoma State and RV/No. 18 Texas. Iowa State and K-State received votes.
Labor Day weekend starts on Thursday, September 1 with the “Backyard Brawl” featuring West Virginia at No. 17/16 Pitt as well as Central Michigan at No. 12/11 Oklahoma State. College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will travel to Pittsburgh for a special Thursday show starting at 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET on ESPN. Two games are also scheduled on Friday night including TCU visiting Colorado in the first meeting between the programs. The remaining six Big 12 teams open the season on Saturday.
Three Big 12 teams will have a new head coach on the sidelines for the 2022 season: Brent Venables (Oklahoma), Sonny Dykes (TCU) and Joey McGuire (Texas Tech).
Big 12 teams have a combined 152 student-athletes on this season’s rosters who have already earned undergraduate degrees: Baylor (22), Iowa State (11), Kansas (13), K-State (20), Oklahoma (13), Oklahoma State (16), TCU (18), Texas (7), Texas Tech (18) and West Virginia (14).
Ten of the Conference’s 21 non-conference opponents this season played in 2021 bowl games, including wins by future members BYU and Houston. Two other opponents accepted bowl bids but withdrew due to COVID.
The Big 12 Football Weekly Show presented by Old Trapper Beef Jerky debuts on Wednesday, August 31. The hour-long weekly magazine show will be available at 7 p.m. CT each Wednesday through November 30 on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Chuckie Kempf and Harold Kuntz host the program, which features highlights from previous games, analysis and previews for the coming week of Big 12 football.
The Big 12 ended the 2021 season with a .784 (29-8) win percentage in nonconference outings, good for second among FBS leagues. Six of the eight losses were to other autonomy conferences.
The Big 12 completed the 2021 bowl season with a .714 (5-2) win percentage, the highest among the autonomy leagues. The Conference’s .833 (10-2) bowl win percentage over the last two seasons is the best among all leagues.
The Big 12 placed 70 percent of teams in 2021 bowl games for the first time since 2018 and had seven bowl squads for the 18th season out of the last 23.
Baylor and Oklahoma State won 2021 CFP New Year’s Six Bowls. The Big 12 had two teams in the postseason structure for the sixth occasion in its eight years.
