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MORGANTOWN -- You've waited patiently as the Big 12 spent the last decade or so twisting West Virginia Football into something barely recognizable, so now they have rewarded you with the new, revised version of it, announcing the teams home and away schedule over the next four years.
It is a revolutionary four years with no more Oklahoma and Texas as featured attractions and, beginning next year, with four more new teams to make it a 16-team conference … sort of like the old Big East basketball conference, except it's going to take you from Disney World to the OK Corral, from the Alamo to Fountain Square in Cincinnati.
The schedule will still be nine games -- five at home, four on the road in alternating years -- and this is how the league will look beginning in the summer of 2024: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joining Baylor, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
This is how they set the Mountaineers up over the next four years:
2024
Home: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, UCF
Away: Arizona, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech
2025
Home: Colorado, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah
Road: Arizona State, BYU, Houston, Kansas, UCF
2026
Home: Arizona, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State
Road: Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah
2027
Home: Arizona State, BYU, Iowa State, UCF
Road: Baylor, Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas State, Oklahoma State
So let's take a peek here. Next season will see WVU play four standard teams have a rematch with last week's road opponent, Central Florida while traveling to newcomers Arizona, Cincinnati and traditional Big 12 rivals Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.
In 2025 Utah and Colorado with Deion Sanders coaching (??) -- worth more than just one question mark -- come to WVU while the Mountaineers head to Arizona State, BYU, Houston and UCF, playing at only one regular stop on the Big 12 road, Kansas.
In 2026 there is certainly an interesting home mix of opponents with Arizona, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas and Oklahoma State while the road swing is more tradition only Utah as first-time sop
And then in 2027 -- and no one will guarantee any of this the way things are changing in college football almost by the minute -- Arizona State, BYU and UCF join Iowa State at home while you can make plans to travel to Baylor, Cincinnati, Colorado Kansas State and Oklahoma State … if you have enough hotel points and airline miles to afford that.
"As we look towards the future of this Conference, we are thrilled to introduce the first football scheduling matrix for the new-look Big 12," said Commissioner Brett Yormark. "I'm grateful to our membership for their support throughout the scheduling process. In this model, competitive balance and student-athlete wellness was prioritized. Rivalries will be protected and new matchups will be introduced - the excitement and parity this Conference is known for will continue for years to come."
Are you going to like it? Probably.
During the four years, all teams will play one another at least once home and away. Some matchups will occur over three seasons while others take place in all four. Matchups in 2024 that were also played in 2023 will not repeat at the same site.