The Big 12 Conference will keep an 18‑game schedule for the upcoming 2026‑27 men’s basketball season, but the league is already looking ahead to a possible return to a 20‑game format.
During its annual spring meetings, league officials signaled that the current schedule is being shaped by a combination of media‑rights considerations and the growing appetite among fans for more high‑profile matchups.
Brian Thornton, the conference’s chief basketball official, told reporters that a full 20‑game slate cannot be implemented this year because of the complex scheduling processes that must accommodate existing commitments and travel logistics.
The shift from a 20‑game schedule in 2024‑25 to an 18‑game format the following season was driven by the need to balance competitive balance with logistical constraints, a move that the league says was well received by schools and broadcasters alike.
Last season, 24 of the conference’s games attracted more than one million viewers, and overall viewership during Big 12 play rose 20 percent compared with the prior year, underscoring the commercial appeal of the matchups.
Looking ahead
If the league can iron out the logistical hurdles, a 20‑game schedule could cement the Big 12’s position as one of the premier basketball conferences on national television.