New Big 12 football matchups mean a break for several Kansas State rivalries
Each of Kansas State football's traditional Big 12 rivalries will pause at least once in the next four years, with one exception.
The Big 12 announced its conference matchups for the next four years on Wednesday, and the Wildcats' lone protected rivalry for all four was the Sunflower Showdown with Kansas. The Jayhawks will visit Manhattan in 2024 and 2026, with K-State traveling to Lawrence in 2025 and 2027.
.@Big12Conference schedule through 2027 🔒
📄 https://t.co/0SZPHxtZXW pic.twitter.com/AUWRUVzttl— K-State Football (@KStateFB) November 1, 2023
K-State will continue to face longtime conference rivals Iowa State and Oklahoma State the first three years of the plan but will take a break from both in 2027. The same is true of former league foe Colorado, which returns to the Big 12 next season and is on the Wildcats' schedule through 2026.
While it means an interruption of some traditional rivalries, the schedule also makes sure that all 16 conference schools play each other at least twice — home and away — over the four years. That includes 2024 conference newcomers Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.
Next year, K-State plays host to Arizona State, Cincinnati, Kansas and Oklahoma State, while visiting Brigham Young, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State and West Virginia. Cincinnati and BYU were the two 2024 newcomers not on the Wildcats' schedule this year.
Dates for next year's games will be announced at a later date.
Kansas State's Big 12 matchups from 2024-27
2024 — Home: Arizona State, Cincinnati, Kansas and Oklahoma State. Away: BYU, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State and West Virginia.
2025 — Home: UCF, Colorado, Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech. Away: Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Utah.
2026 — Home: Arizona, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State. Away: Arizona State, Cincinnati, Colorado, Iowa State and TCU.
2027 — Home: Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Utah and West Virginia. Away: Arizona, UCF, Kansas and Texas Tech.
Related: Kansas State football to face Big 12 newcomers UCF and Houston at home in 2023
Related: Three questions for Kansas State football before the Wildcats' last shot at beating Texas
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: New Big 12 football matchups protect Kansas State's Sunflower Showdown
