Big 12 Unveils 2024 Football Schedule Featuring Deion Sanders' Colorado, More

The new-look Big 12 has unveiled its football schedule for the 2024 season with Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah joining the conference.

Fifteen of the 16 teams will open the season on Aug. 31, with TCU playing at Stanford one day earlier.

The arrival of Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah comes as the Big 12 is losing arguably its two biggest programs. Oklahoma and Texas are moving to the SEC starting with the 2024-25 academic year.

Going by Joel Reuter's very early top-25 rankings for B/R, Utah (No. 12) and Arizona (No. 13) are the favorites to win the conference. Kansas State (No. 17), Oklahoma State (No. 18) and Kansas (No. 22) are also in the running.

A two-week stretch early in the season could play a huge role in deciding the Big 12 champion. Oklahoma State hosts Utah on Sept. 21, followed by the Utes playing Arizona at Rice–Eccles Stadium the following week.

Colorado is returning to the Big 12 after spending the past 12 years in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes were one of the original members of the conference when it debuted in 1996.

Head coach Deion Sanders' team will make their Big 12 re-debut against North Dakota State. Their first conference game will be against Baylor on Sept. 21.

Sanders' first season with the Buffaloes was a success, though it was a qualified one. They gained national prominence because of his arrival and a 3-0 start that got them ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since 2020.

But losing eight of the final nine games took a lot of shine away from Colorado. The program didn't become bowl-eligible for the third consecutive year.

One game that Colorado won during that 3-0 start was against TCU in the season opener for both teams. The Horned Frogs were coming off an undefeated regular season and a trip to the College Football Playoff in 2022, but they allowed 45 points and 565 yards in a three-point loss.

The schedule-marks won't give TCU a chance at revenge since Colorado isn't on its schedule.

All 16 teams will play a total of 12 games, with the top two teams in the standings squaring off in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 7 at AT&T Stadium.