What Does the Big 12 10-Game Season Mean for Texas?
On Monday, the Big 12 presidents and chancellors approved a nine conference game and one non-conference game format for the upcoming season. The Big 12 title game will be held either December 12th or 19th.
Longhorn fans should expect to have the same non-conference opponent in UTEP, who will most likely travel over to Austin for the match. As every Power 5 conference announced their formal plan for the fall season, the ACC and Big 12 stand as the only conferences to maintain a non-conference game.
Thoughts?
This will provide a good change for the Texas program. Texas will not have to face off against the defending champion LSU Tigers which would be a toss up game in a hostile environment. Having the Big 12 stand as one of the better conferences, right in the mix with the SEC and Big 10, will serve as a good case for eventual playoff hopes.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby made a statement about the decision:
“We believe this change provides the best opportunity going forward. However, we will undoubtedly need to be flexible as we progress through the season in order to combat the challenges that lie ahead."
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione expressed hope towards the Cotton Bowl in Dallas:
"We expect to play that game in the month of October… The only reason we'd have to look at another venue is if something developed that the Cotton Bowl was unavailable for whatever reason."
A full schedule is set to be released in the coming days for the Longhorns.
