How The Houston Cougars' Big 12 Opponents Have Been Faring Thus Far

As of Saturday, the Cougars are tied for fifth place in the Big 12 even though conference play doesn’t start for another month.

Nov 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Fans cheer after a Houston Cougars basket during the first half against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Don’t look now, but the standings are starting to get fun. 

Collegiate basketball is officially underway, and the Houston Cougars are off to a tough slate that has included two SEC and two ACC schools. 

Coach Kelvin Sampson has set up the regular season schedule to have his squad in a prime position to face any team at any given point, which is what he wants, so when the NCAA tournament begins, it won’t be anything the Cougars have gone against already, which gives the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee a reason to classify them as a No. 1 seed. 

Lots of competition is still to come, with about a month before Big 12 conference play starts. Here is how Houston’s league opponents are doing in the non-conference. 

Non-Conference Standings 

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson looks on during the second half against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Two of the three most surprising schools at the top of the league with the best records are No. 10 Iowa State, No. 12 Colorado, and No. 13 Oklahoma State. All three rosters have yet to lose. 

The Buffaloes and Cowboys, who didn't make March Madness one season ago, hold an 8-0 record while the Cyclones have jumped out to a tremendous 9-0 start. 

Another team without a loss in the 2025-26 season is Arizona, one of the most dangerous teams to face, ranked No. 2 overall. 

Sitting at 7-1 are No. 8 Houston, No. 9 BYU, and UCF. There is also Baylor at 6-1, which surprisingly isn’t ranked for the first time in a while. 

A trio of teams in the bottom half of the standings already have to put up with two losses, including West Virginia, Arizona State, and Texas Tech. 

The Mountaineers are at 7-2, as the Sun Devils and Red Raiders are 6-2. 

Cincinnati, Kansas, and Utah all have six wins and three losses. At the bottom of the conference are Kansas State and TCU, with five wins and three losses, meaning every school is above the .500 mark. 

Houston Schedule

According to the schedule for Sampon’s program, the Cougars will meet every Big 12 school at least once. This season, Houston only plays BYU, Colorado, Utah, UCF, TCU, Oklahoma State, and Kansas once on the road, and Kansas State, West Virginia, Arizona, Arizona State, and Iowa State once at home. 

Texas Tech, Baylor, and Cincinnati draw Houston twice, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on how people view it as a chance to build or destroy a resume. 

Conference play begins the weekend of January 3, so every game from here on out matters.