It was reported on Wednesday that all four new additions to the Big 12 Conference will join for the 2023-24 seasons.
With the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners still part of the conference until the 2025-26 calender at the latest, there would be 14 teams in all. Given that college football plays just 12 regular-season games, it would be impossible to keep the round-robin style of scheduling.
As we look to project the Big 12 in 2023 and beyond, Longhorns Wire takes a look at how it could all break down.
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Likely a nine-game schedule
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Three nonconference matchups
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Rotating cross-divisional matchups
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Oklahoma joins the North, Texas joins the South to help with the transition to a 12-team league after leaving for the SEC
Here is a look at the full Big 12 North/South potential breakdown:
Big 12 North: Cincinnati Bearcats
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Kicking off the new Big 12 North division with the defending AAC Champions, the Cincinnati Bearcats.
2021 Record: 13-1
Head Coach: Luke Fickell
Iowa State Cyclones
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The Iowa State Cyclones return to the North Division where they resided during the inception of the Big 12 Conference until realignment in 2012.
2021 Record: 7-6
Head Coach: Matt Campbell
Big 12 North: Kansas Jayhawks
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas Jayhawks are the next team to return to the North division.
2021 Record: 2-10
Head Coach: Lance Leipold
Big 12 North: Kansas State Wildcats
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The Kansas State Wildcats would return to the Big 12 North with their in-state rivals, the Jayhawks.
2021 Record: 8-5
Head Coach: Chris Klieman
Big 12 North: Oklahoma Sooners
CHRIS LANDSBERGER/THE OKLAHOMAN
In this edition of the Big 12, we move the Sooners to the North division.
2021 Record: 11-2
Head Coach: Brent Venables
Big 12 North: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma State Cowboys would join the other half of the Bedlam rivalry, Oklahoma to keep this rivalry intact.
2021 Record: 12-2
Head Coach: Mike Gundy
Big 12 North: West Virginia Mountaineers
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
When the West Virginia Mountaineers first joined the Big 12 there were no divisions, however, we project them to the North division for the new-look conference.
2021 Record: 6-7
Head Coach: Neal Brown
Big 12 South: Baylor Bears
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
We kick off the South division realignment with the defending Big 12 Champions, the Baylor Bears. They were originally in the South when the conference formed.
2021 Record: 12-2
Head Coach: Dave Aranda
Big 12 South: Brigham Young Cougars
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
The BYU Cougars are the first new addition to the new-look South division.
2021 Record: 10-3
Head Coach: Kalani Sitake
Big 12 South: Central Florida Knights
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Next to join the Big 12 South is the Central Florida Knights.
2021 Record: 9-4
Head Coach: Gus Malzahn
Big 12 South: Houston Cougars
Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Dana Holgorsen returns to the Big 12 as the head coach of the Houston Cougars. They join the South division along with AAC conference teams Cincinnati and UCF.
2021 Record: 12-2
Head Coach: Dana Holgorsen
Big 12 South: Texas Longhorns
Mikala Compton-USA TODAY NETWORK
The Texas Longhorns return to the South division and this is purely strategic with Oklahoma in the north. When the teams leave for the SEC, the North and South divisions remain even with six teams each.
2021 Record: 5-7
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian
Big 12 South: Texas Christian Horned Frogs
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Much like WVU, the TCU Horned Frogs join the conference with no divisional alignment. The Frogs join the South with the rest of the Texas teams.
2021 Record: 5-7
Head Coach: Sonny Dykes
Big 12 South: Texas Tech Red Raiders
AP Photo/Brad Tollefson
The Texas Tech Red Raiders is one of the original eight teams of the Big 12 Conference. They will return to their original division in the South.
2021 Record: 7-6
Head Coach: Joey McGuire
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