Rivalries Re‑ignited
The 2026‑27 Big 12 slate promises a gauntlet of tests for the BYU Cougars, beginning with a home‑and‑home series against Utah that rekindles a rivalry that has defined the conference’s early years. The Cougars will also host Arizona twice, a rematch that saw the Wildcats finish as conference champions and reach the Final Four last season, while Kansas makes its first trip to Provo since 2025, bringing with it a recruiting class headlined by five‑star forward Tyran Stokes.
BYU’s performance in the previous season left them tenth in the league, a position that belies a 3‑1 edge over the Utes since the Utah program entered the conference. The Cougars will not travel to Morgantown, but they will welcome West Virginia’s second‑year coach Ross Hodge, whose own team is shaping a promising roster.
Road trips to Houston, Iowa State and Texas Tech add further strain, though the Cougars will not host any of those opponents. Instead, they will rely on the relatively intimate atmosphere of the Addtion Financial Arena, a venue that has earned praise for its passionate student section despite being an underrated road spot in the league.
Utah’s coaching staff remains in flux, with head coach Alex Jensen entering his second year and bolstering his squad with UVU transfer Jackson Holcombe and international point guard Noam Yaacov. Meanwhile, Arizona will return key big men Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov and add freshman Caleb Holt, a move that could keep the Wildcats in the championship conversation.
Kansas, under the steady guidance of Bill Self, will field a new‑look lineup that also includes former Utah forward Keanu Dawes, while the Cougars look to leverage their home‑court advantage against a schedule that, on paper, is among the most challenging in the Big 12.
Players Set to Influence the Race
Among the newcomers, Caleb Holt’s arrival in Tucson could provide a fresh scoring option for Arizona, while Tyran Stokes is expected to make an immediate impact for Kansas. For the Cougars, the development of Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov will be closely monitored, as will the emergence of point guard Noam Yaacov, who could dictate tempo against Big 12 defenses.