Iowa State football's 2024 Big 12 Conference schedule includes five home games, three time zones
Iowa State’s first venture into the world of a 16-team Big 12 Conference in 2024 became clearer with Wednesday’s release of football schedules for the next four seasons.
The expanded Big 12 will include newcomers Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah They’re joining just as Oklahoma and Texas enter the Southeastern Conference.
The Big 12 Conference season will remain nine games, and the league will remain division-less. The annual protected rivalries in the new Big 12 will be Kansas-Kansas State, Baylor-TCU, Arizona-Arizona State and BYU-Utah.
"Farmageddon," the name fans have attached to the Iowa State-Kansas State game that's been played consecutively since 1917, won’t happen in 2027 unless the teams meet in the Big 12's championship game.
Iowa State
2024: Home-Baylor, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, UCF. Road-Utah, Houston, Kansas, West Virginia.
2025: Home-BYU, Kansas, Arizona and Arizona State. Road-Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU.
2026: Home-Cincinnati, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Utah and West Virginia. Road-Arizona, Baylor, BYU and UCF.
2027: Home-Colorado, Houston, TCU and UCF. Road-Arizona State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
During those four years, all teams will play one another at least once home and away.
“In this model, competitive balance and student-athlete wellness was prioritized,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said. “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.”
How many conference games?
That will remain at nine, which means everyone can’t play everyone as was the case before 2023. Iowa State will play in three time zones annually through the 2027 season.
Will Cy-Hawk remain on the schedule?
No reason to believe it won’t, at least for the near future. Next season’s game is Sept. 7 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. “I would hope we could continue to find a way to maintain that (game), because I think it’s great for the state of Iowa, and it’s great for college football to keep some of those local rivals,” athletics director Jamie Pollard said during the Cyclones annual Tailgate Tour last spring. “Quite frankly, this latest round of realignment is going to challenge some of those (rivalry games).” The Cy-Hawk game, played annually since 1977 (other than the 2020 pandemic season) is under contract through the 2027 season. The game contract can, emphasis on can, be discontinued if either the Big 12 or Big Ten expands.
No divisions? Who plays for the conference title?
That's right, no divisions. The Big 12 will maintain a division-less format that’s been in place since 2011. The conference said a while ago the two teams with the best conference records will meet in the Big 12 Championship Game.
When will Iowa State fans get to welcome Coach Prime to Jack Trice Stadium?
Colorado and coach Deion Sanders come to Ames in 2027 (assuming he hasn't moved on from Boulder by that time). The last time the Buffaloes played in Ames was a 17-10 Cyclones victory in 2009. That’s when both teams were in the Big 12. Colorado went to the Pac-12 in July 2011.
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 51st year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football learns its Big 12 Conference foes for 2024-27
