Big 12 women's basketball schedule release takeaways for OU Sooners, OSU Cowgirls

The last Bedlam women’s basketball matchups of the Big 12 era will be held in February.

Oklahoma State will host the season’s first meeting at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater on Saturday, Feb. 3, then the Sooners will play host to the final meeting on Saturday, Feb. 24.

The Big 12 Conference announced the full conference schedule for women’s basketball on Tuesday, the only year the conference will have 14 teams.

After the season, OU and Texas will leave for the Southeastern Conference, and the Big 12 will bring in Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah to boost its total to 16.

And Bedlam, which re-ignited its rivalry fire last season, has seen improvement on both sides, with the teams led by energetic young coaches — Jennie Baranczyk, who is entering her third year at OU, and Jacie Hoyt, approaching her second at OSU.

More: Big 12 men's basketball schedule release takeaways for OU Sooners, OSU Cowboys

Unfamiliar start, exciting finish for Sooners

OU will wrap up its final Big 12 season in style.

Following the Feb. 24 Bedlam matchup, OU will host its other conference rival, Texas, on Feb. 28 and wrap up the regular season with a trip to the league’s most storied arena, Allen Fieldhouse, in a matchup with Kansas.

But the Sooners jump into conference play loaded with games against newcomers to the league.

OU opens Big 12 play on Dec. 30, playing host to Central Florida. That is followed by a trip to BYU before returning to Lloyd Noble Center for a visit from Cincinnati.

Key dates for budding Cowgirl rivals

With the Sooners on their way out the door, Oklahoma State will be looking for a new rival in the Big 12, and based on last season, Baylor and Texas Tech seem to be prime candidates.

OSU upset Baylor in both regular-season matchups last season, and will get their first shot at the Bears in Stillwater on Jan. 28. Then the Cowgirls make the return trip to Waco, Texas, in the league’s regular-season finale on Sunday, March 3. All other teams in the league finish a day earlier, leaving OSU-Baylor as the only show in town to end the year.

The Cowgirls, who had a three-overtime thriller with Texas Tech last year, will host the Red Raiders on Jan. 10 and return the love with a trip to Lubbock on Feb. 14.

Additionally, Oklahoma State released its full non-conference schedule, which includes trips to Boulder, Colorado, St. George, Utah, and the Bahamas, plus six home games.

Here’s a look at the OSU and OU women’s basketball schedules:

OSU Cowgirls schedule

• Monday, November 6: SIU -Edwardsville, 5 a.m.

• Wednesday, November 8: New Orleans, 11 a.m.

• Sunday, November 12:  at Colorado, 2 p.m.

• Monday, November 20:  vs. Penn State-y, 5:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, November 22:  vs. Ohio State-y, 5:30 p.m.

• Sunday, November 26: Missouri State, 2 p.m.

• Sunday, December 3: Wyoming, 2 p.m.

• Saturday, December 9: Texas State, 2 p.m.

• Sunday, December 17: Southern Illinois, 1 p.m.

• Wednesday, December 20:  vs. Utah Tech-z, 3 p.m.

• Thursday, December 21:  vs. Oregon-z, 3 p.m.

• Saturday, December 30: Iowa State, 2 p.m.

• Wednesday, January 3:  at UCF, TBA

• Saturday, January 6:  at TCU, TBA

• Wednesday, January 10: Texas Tech, 6:30 p.m.

• Saturday, January 13:  at Kansas, TBA

• Wednesday, January 17: BYU, 6:30 p.m.

• Saturday, January 20: Texas, 2 p.m.

• Wednesday, January 24:  at Cincinnati, TBA

• Sunday, January 28: Baylor, 1 p.m.

• Wednesday, January 31:  at Iowa State, TBA

• Saturday, February 3: Oklahoma, 4 p.m.

• Saturday, February 10:  at K-State, TBA

• Wednesday, February 14:  at Texas Tech, TBA

• Saturday, February 17: Houston, 4 p.m.

• Wednesday, February 21: UCF, 6:30 p.m.

• Saturday, February 24:  at Oklahoma, TBA

• Tuesday, February 27: West Virginia, 6:30 p.m.

• Sunday, March 3:  at Baylor, TBA

• March 7-12: Big 12 Championship, Kansas City

• y-at Bahamas; z-at St. George, Utah

OU Sooners schedule

• Monday, November 6: Wichita State, TBA

• Thursday, November 9: at Ole Miss, TBA

• Sunday, November 12: Oral Roberts, TBA

• Wednesday, November 15: Alabama State, 10:30 a.m.

• Sunday, November 19: at Virginia, TBA

• Thursday, November 23: Princeton-y, 2 p.m.

• Saturday, November 25: Tennessee-y, 12:30 p.m.

• Friday, December 1: Grambling, TBA

• Saturday, December 9: UNLV, TBA

• Tuesday, December 19: North Carolina-z, TBA

• Friday, December 22: Southern, TBA

• Saturday, December 30: UCF, TBA

• Wednesday, January 3: at BYU, TBA

• Saturday, January 6: Cincinnati, TBA

• Wednesday, January 10: at Kansas State, TBA

• Saturday, January 13: Texas Tech, TBA

• Saturday, January 20: at Houston, TBA

• Wednesday, January 24: at Texas, TBA

• Saturday, January 27: Kansas, TBA

• Wednesday, January 31: Kansas State, TBA

• Saturday, February 3: at Oklahoma State, TBA

• Wednesday, February 7: TCU, TBA

• Saturday, February 10: at Iowa State, TBA

• Wednesday, February 14: Baylor, TBA, Pink Game

• Saturday, February 17: at West Virginia, TBA

• Tuesday, February 20: at Cincinnati, TBA

• Saturday, February 24: Oklahoma State, TBA

• Wednesday, February 28: Texas, TBA

• March 2-7: Big 12 Championship, Kansas City

• y-Fort Myers Tip-Off; z-Jumpman Invitational

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 women's basketball schedule: Takeaways for OU, Oklahoma State