In their first year of Big 12 play the Cougars were 5-7 and had a conference record of 2-7. This year, BYU plans to make a larger impression on the competition. Tuesday, the Cougars released their 2024 schedule.
The Big 12 loses Texas and Oklahoma to the Southeastern Conference, but welcomes Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah this upcoming season.
The Cougars will play nine Big 12 conference games, including five at home this year. Five teams on BYU’s schedule finished in the Top 25 Associated Press ranks in 2023: Arizona (11), Oklahoma State (16), Kansas State (18), SMU (22), and Kansas (23).
Additionally, BYU has two bye weeks. The first in week six before Arizona and the second in week 10 before facing arch-rival Utah.
The Cougars play 12 games starting on Aug. 31 against Southern Illinois at home. This is the first time BYU and Southern Illinois will face off. Following week one the team has back-to-back weeks on the road against SMU and Wyoming.
Big 12 play commences this year in Provo against Kansas State. The Cougars are undefeated at home against the Wildcats, the last game being in 1996.
Following Kansas State, the Cougars head back to Waco, Texas, to face Baylor for the third time in four years. The series is split 2-2. Last season, the Bears went 3-9 but they now have new offensive coaches in 2024.
After their first bye week, the Cougars host Big 12 newcomer Arizona as well as Oklahoma State. BYU lost to Oklahoma State last fall, 40-34, in Stillwater.
After these two home games, the Cougars travel to Orlando, Florida to play UCF. The Cougars have faced UCF three times and lead the series 2-1. The last time they played each other was the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl, where BYU won 49-23.
The most anticipated game of this season is against the Utes in Salt Lake City on Nov. 9. The Cougars last faced Utah in 2021 where they won in Provo to snap the nine-game losing streak to the Utes. Utah is a newcomer to the Big 12 this year after leaving the Pac-12.
Following the Utes, the Cougars face Kansas in Provo. Last year, the Jayhawks beat BYU 38-27 in the Cougars’ first conference road game in Lawrence.
The Cougars then travel to Tempe, Arizona, to play former Western Athletic Conference foe Arizona State. The last time these two teams played was 2021, with BYU winning 27-17.
The last game of the season is Nov. 30 against Houston in Provo. The Houston Cougars came to Provo in 2014, when BYU won 33-25.
This year BYU does not play West Virginia, Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU, Colorado and Cincinnati in Big 12 regular-season play.
BYU is hoping to earn its first bowl berth in 2024 season as members in the Big 12.