Arizona will face Kansas, BYU and ASU twice in men's basketball next season

After scheduling marquee programs Arizona and Kansas only once during the Wildcats’ first Big 12 season in 2024-25, the conference reversed course Thursday.

While announcing opponent locations for next season Thursday, the Big 12 assigned Arizona to play Kansas, BYU and ASU twice in men’s basketball while the UA women will face “double plays” with Utah, BYU and ASU. Exact dates and times have yet to be announced.

Because the Big 12 is dropping from 20 to 18 games next season, its teams can only play three others home and away while facing the other 12 teams once. But UA’s draw in men’s basketball gives the Wildcats a total of four potential marquee games against Kansas and BYU while preserving the historical rivalry with ASU, something the Big 12 has expressed a commitment to.

Arizona’s schedule draw gives the Big 12 media partners more top-tier inventory — and schools more prime game tickets to sell — but will likely give UA a slightly tougher schedule. The Wildcats also won’t get a chance to host Big 12 champ Houston.

Still, UA coach Tommy Lloyd indicated there would be challenges however the schedule played out.

“Kansas is a great team. I mean, come on, they ran the Big 12 for a lot of years, but I think we all know who’s running the Big 12 now, and it’s some school over there in East Texas,” Lloyd said, referring to the Cougars.

“So we’ve got our eyes on everybody. Obviously Arizona and Kansas playing is a great thing... it’s great that they’re coming here for our fans but it’s going to be a tough 18-game deal.”

UA played Kansas only at Lawrence, Kansas, last season, and before the season, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said that the league would consider a double-play format between the two programs.

“It wasn’t easy when you think about the different matchups and the depth of the conference, but we’ve got to go back to the drawing board and think about that,” Yormark said. “That’s a marquee matchup, as we all know, and one the fans want to see.”

For the rest of its conference schedule, the UA men’s team will face Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia only at McKale Center next season (making for a likely return to McKale of former UA guard Kerr Kriisa, who now plays for Cincinnati). The Wildcats will play Baylor, UCF, Colorado, Houston, TCU, Utah only away from home.

The schedule means Arizona will be able to reach most of its away games with a two-hour charter flight or less, with a two-game road swing to BYU and Utah possible.

The Wildcats will have to play at UCF but won’t have anything as demanding as their first Big 12 road trip last season, when they played at Cincinnati and West Virginia over a four-day period amid low temperatures and snowstorms.

In women’s basketball, UA was assigned a more regional double-play look against ASU, BYU and Utah. The Wildcats’ women’s team will face BYU, UCF, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State only at McKale Center, and travel to Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia.

The entire list of opponents for 2025-26:

MEN

Arizona

Home Only: Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Away Only: Baylor, UCF, Colorado, Houston, TCU, Utah

Both: Arizona State, BYU, Kansas

Arizona State

Home Only: Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Away Only: Baylor, BYU, UCF, Houston, Iowa State, TCU

Both: Arizona, Colorado, Utah

Baylor

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Texas Tech, Utah

Away Only: UCF, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia

Both: Houston, Iowa State, TCU

BYU

Home Only: Arizona State, UCF, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, TCU

Away Only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia

Both: Arizona, Texas Tech, Utah

UCF

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Kansas, TCU, Texas Tech

Away Only: BYU, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Utah

Both: Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, West Virginia

Cincinnati

Home Only: Baylor, BYU, Colorado, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Utah

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech

Both: UCF, Houston, West Virginia

Colorado

Home Only: Arizona, UCF, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU

Away Only: Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, West Virginia

Both: Arizona State, Texas Tech, Utah

Houston

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, UCF, Colorado, Kansas State, West Virginia

Away Only: BYU, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, TCU, Utah

Both: Baylor, Cincinnati, Texas Tech

Iowa State

Home Only: Arizona State, UCF, Colorado, Houston, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Away Only: Arizona, BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas State, TCU, Utah

Both: Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State

Kansas

Home Only: Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, TCU, Utah

Away Only: Arizona State, UCF, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Both: Arizona, Iowa State, Kansas State

Kansas State

Home Only: Baylor, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Utah

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Houston, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech

Both: Kansas, TCU, West Virginia

Oklahoma State

Home Only: Baylor, BYU, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, West Virginia

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Colorado, Texas Tech, Utah

Both: UCF, Iowa State, TCU

TCU

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, West Virginia

Away Only: BYU, UCF, Colorado, Kansas, Texas Tech, Utah

Both: Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State

Texas Tech

Home Only: Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Utah

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, UCF, Iowa State, West Virginia

Both: BYU, Colorado, Houston

Utah

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Home Only: Arizona, UCF, Houston, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, TCU

Away Only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Both: Arizona State, BYU, Colorado

West Virginia

Home Only: Baylor, BYU, Colorado, Kansas, Texas Tech, Utah

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Houston, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, TCU

Both: UCF, Cincinnati, Kansas State

WOMEN

Arizona

Home Only: BYU, UCF, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State

Away Only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Both: Arizona State, Colorado, Utah

Arizona State

Home Only: UCF, Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State

Away Only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Both: Arizona, BYU, Utah

Baylor

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State

Away Only: BYU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Utah, West Virginia

Both: UCF, TCU, Texas Tech

BYU

Home Only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Away Only: Arizona, UCF, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State

Both: Arizona State, Colorado, Utah

UCF

Home Only: BYU, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU, Utah

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Houston, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech

Both: Baylor, Cincinnati, West Virginia

Cincinnati

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech

Away Only: BYU, Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Utah

Both: UCF, Iowa State, West Virginia

Colorado

Home Only: Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah, West Virginia

Away Only: Arizona State, Baylor, UCF, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State

Both: Arizona, BYU, Oklahoma State

Houston

Home Only: BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado, Iowa State, Utah

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, West Virginia

Both: Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech

Iowa State

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, UCF, Kansas, West Virginia

Away Only: BYU, Colorado, Houston, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah

Both: Cincinnati, Kansas State, Oklahoma State

Kansas

Home Only: BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Utah, West Virginia

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, UCF, Iowa State, TCU

Both: Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech

Kansas State

Home Only: BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Utah, West Virginia

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, UCF, TCU, Texas Tech

Both: Houston, Iowa State, Kansas

Oklahoma State

Home Only: Baylor, BYU, UCF, Houston, Texas Tech, Utah

Away Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Kansas State, TCU, West Virginia

Both: Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas

TCU

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State

Away Only: BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado, Texas Tech, Utah

Both: Baylor, Houston, West Virginia

Texas Tech

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, UCF, Iowa State, Kansas State, TCU

Away Only: BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Utah, West Virginia

Both: Baylor, Houston, Kansas

Utah

Home Only: Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia

Away Only: UCF, Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State

Both: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU

West Virginia

Home Only: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech

Away Only: BYU, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Utah

Both: UCF, Cincinnati, TCU