A New Chapter for the Bears
The Big 12 Conference released its full schedule matrix for the 2026‑27 men’s basketball season on Thursday, outlining an 18‑game slate that blends home‑and‑home series with single‑game road trips. The announcement set the stage for a season that promises both familiar battles and fresh challenges for every program.
For Baylor, the schedule highlights three conference foes with whom the Bears will meet twice, guaranteeing home‑and‑home matchups against Colorado, Kansas and UCF. These series are designed to test the Bears against top‑tier competition while allowing them to protect home court advantage.
Baylor will enjoy six home contests against Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Each of these games is expected to draw a passionate crowd in Waco, creating an atmosphere that opponents often find difficult to navigate.
The road portion of the schedule takes the Bears to Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, TCU, Texas Tech and Utah. Traveling across the western half of the conference will test the team’s depth and resilience, but it also offers opportunities to extend winning streaks in hostile environments.
Key Matchups to Watch
Historical context adds extra intrigue: Baylor has not lost to Colorado at home since 2003, and the Bears aim to extend a five‑game home winning streak against Kansas. They have also won four of the last five meetings with Kansas State and are poised to add to an eight‑game home winning streak against West Virginia, a record that dates back to 2018.
The series with Colorado will mark the first regular‑season matchup between the programs since 1951, while a trip to Allen Fieldhouse will test the Bears against a storied Kansas venue. Additionally, Baylor will travel to Orlando, hoping to replicate last season’s narrow 87‑86 road win, and will face TCU at Schollmaier Arena, a venue where they have won five of their last six road games.
Overall, the schedule is crafted to balance travel demands with competitive opportunities, giving Baylor a chance to protect its recent dominance and chase new milestones. The Bears enter the season with a clear focus on extending their winning streaks and maintaining their strong home record while embracing the challenges that a full conference slate presents.