What We Know and What We Don't About BYU's First Big 12 Schedule
After months of delays, the Big 12 is set to announce the 2023 football schedule soon. Here is a quick outline what we know and what we don't about BYU's 2023 football schedule.
What We Don't Know
The Date: First and foremost, we don't know the official timing of the schedule release. It was originally going to be released in October of 2022, then it was delayed until November, then December became the timeline until it was pushed to January. At the national championship game three weeks ago, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told the media that the Big 12 schedule should be released in the next two weeks. Those two weeks passed and the schedule wasn't released. So while we don't know the exact date of the release, we know that the release is coming very soon.
The Conference Opponents: We don't know which Big 12 opponents will be on BYU's schedule. That will be revealed once the Big 12 unveils the full conference schedule. The Big 12 originally planned to split the conference into two seven-team divisions - then those plans changed and the Big 12 opted to go without divisions in 2023.
Home and Away Split: BYU's Big 12 conference schedule will consist of nine conference games. We don't know whether BYU will host four or five conference home games in 2023.
The Bye Week: We don't know when BYU will have a bye week in 2023. We know that it won't be during the non-conference portion of the schedule, so it will be during conference play at some point.
What We Know
General Format: Every school Big 12 school will play nine conference games and schools will play each other at least once in every two-year period. Traditional rivalries will be preserved and annual opponents (also known as pod scheduling) will be established.
Every year, BYU will alternate between four or five Big 12 home games. If BYU hosts four home games in 2023, for example, then you can plan on five home games in 2024.
Texas and Oklahoma: Texas and Oklahoma will be in the Big 12 in 2023. Some have speculated that Texas and Oklahoma are the reason for the delays in the schedule release. While that may be true, the Longhorns and the Sooners are supposed to be in the Big 12 through 2024. If Texas and Oklahoma leave early, it will be before the 2024 season and not before the 2023 season.
Non-Conference Games: We know that BYU's non-conference schedule will consist of two home games against Sam Houston and SUU. Sam Houston will be promoted to the FBS ranks in 2023. That's important because only one FCS win can count towards bowl eligibility. Sam Houston moving to Conference USA means that the Cougars could count wins over Sam Houston and SUU and qualify for a bowl if they win six games next season.
We also know that BYU will travel to SEC country to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks as part of the non-conference slate. That is the first game of what will be 10 consecutive games against Power Five opponents.
The Bowl Agreements: If BYU reaches bowl eligibility as a member of the Big 12, the bowl opportunities will be much better than the bowls that BYU qualified for during independence.
Stay tuned for more analysis in the coming days when the Big 12 releases the 2023 schedule.
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