Pete Thamel Shares Key Updates via ESPN – Deseret News
The Big 12 Conference is set to announce its schedule for the 2026-27 college football season. The release is expected on Wednesday morning, following an eventful 2025-26 season. ESPN’s Pete Thamel shared several updates that will interest fans, particularly those following the BYU Cougars.
Key Updates on the Big 12 Championship Game
One of the major updates includes a change to the conference championship game. It will now take place on Friday night at 8 p.m. EST, instead of the traditional Saturday slot. This year’s championship game is scheduled for December 4, 2026.
BYU Cougars and Texas Tech Red Raiders
The BYU Cougars had a tough season, facing off against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2025-26 championship game, where they lost 34-7. Interestingly, Thamel revealed that the two teams will not meet during the regular season in 2026. Their next potential matchup could be in the conference title game.
- Last Year’s Championship: December 6, 2025 – Texas Tech defeated BYU 34-7.
- Previous Matchup: November 8, 2025 – Texas Tech won 29-7 against BYU.
- First Meeting in Big 12: 2023 – BYU won 27-14 against Texas Tech.
Other Matchups and Schedule Details
Additionally, Texas Tech is slated to host Arizona State in Week 7 of the 2026 season. The complete Big 12 football schedule for 2026 will be available on Wednesday at 9 a.m. MT.
This year, the absence of a regular season matchup between BYU and Texas Tech is a noteworthy aspect of the schedule, due to the conference’s rotation system.
The full schedule will be released at 11 a.m. EST on ESPNU, allowing fans to plan for the upcoming season.
