Wrestling On FanNation

WWE And Big 12 Expanded Partnership Will Reportedly Bring Smackdown To College Markets

WWE Friday Night SmackDown could be coming to college town near you this fall.
Rick Ucchino|
Undertaker & Quinn Ewers at Big 12 Title Game
Undertaker & Quinn Ewers at Big 12 Title Game | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

WWE and the Big 12 Conference are reportedly set to expand their partnership with one another this upcoming football season.

Chris Vannini of The Athletic took to social media Thursday evening to break the story, saying that several episodes of Friday Night SmackDown are set to run in Big 12 markets this fall as part of the deal.

The first of those wrestling, college football doubleheaders is set for a Week 0 (the opening weekend of the season where a select number of teams play prior to a full slate of games in Week 1) match-up in Dublin, Ireland.

SmackDown will emanate from the 3Arena on Friday, August 22 as part of the company's previously announced overseas tour that will lead to up the Clash in Paris Premium Live Event.

The Kansas State Wildcats will then play host to the Iowa State Cyclones at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, August 23.

Vannini is also reporting that SmackDown will take place on Friday, September 19 in Orlando before the UCF Knights and Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels kick-off the next afternoon on Saturday, September 20.

No other SmackDown dates during college football season have been scheduled at this time, but Big 12 cities to keep an eye on for future announcements include:

City

College

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona

Tempe, Arizona

Arizona State University

Waco, Texas

Baylor University

Provo, Utah

Brigham Young University

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida

Cincinnati, Ohio

University of Cincinnati

Boulder, Colorado

University of Colorado

Houston, Texas

University of Houston

Ames, Iowa

Iowa State University

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University

Stillwater, Oklahoma

Oklahoma State University

Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah

Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University

WWE and the Big 12 conference have been partners for the last couple of years. The winners of the Conference Championship Games have been awarded Big 12 WWE Championship belts, with WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker and other stars taking part in the award ceremonies.

We'll provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

The Latest On WWE, AEW & More

Recently Released WWE Superstar Feels She Never Received 'Fair Opportunity'

New Rumor Reveals Huge Update On WWE SmackDown Show Length

WWE Reportedly Set To Hold Philly Show Ahead Of AEW Residency

Injury Update On Chelsea Green Following WWE Saturday Night's Main Event

Published
Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

Home/WWE