N※N

Why isn't Arizona vs. Kansas State a Big 12 conference game? Explaining NCAA football's realignment impact | Sporting News Canada

  //humor-quirks.news-articles.net/content/2025/09 .. l-s-realignment-impact-sporting-news-canada.html
  Published in Humor and Quirks on Saturday, September 13th 2025 at 13:53 GMT by Sporting News
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

Why Arizona vs. Kansas State Isn’t a Conference Showdown: Inside the Big 12’s 2024–25 Realignment

When the Big 12 announced in February 2023 that it would welcome four Pac‑12 schools—Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA and USC—alongside four Conference USA/Big East members—Cincinnati, UCF, Houston and West Virginia—fans immediately began to wonder how the new alignment would shape the 2024–25 season. One question that has sparked a flurry of conversation on social media and in the press is: Why isn’t Arizona’s upcoming matchup with Kansas State a Big 12 conference game? The Sporting News piece that asked the very same question, “Why isn’t Arizona vs. Kansas State a Big 12 conference game?” unpacks the scheduling puzzle and the broader implications of the conference’s seismic shake‑up.

The Big 12’s Expansion and Scheduling Dilemma

The Big 12’s historic 10‑team lineup (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, TCU, West Virginia and Houston) is set to swell to 14 teams with the 2024–25 season. While a larger roster might sound straightforward, the logistics of fitting 14 teams into a conference schedule that remains manageable for both players and fans prove more complex than a simple “add all the teams” formula.

The conference has chosen to maintain a 10‑game conference slate rather than shift to a full 13‑game round‑robin. In a 14‑team league, a 10‑game schedule means each team will miss four conference opponents each season—a rotation that is built into the Big 12’s scheduling matrix. The Sporting News article notes that the league will rotate these “missed” matchups on a two‑year cycle: a team will play a particular opponent in the first year, then wait a year, and play them again the next season. This approach keeps the overall workload similar to pre‑expansion years and preserves the opportunity for teams to schedule more non‑conference games, which are increasingly important for strength‑of‑schedule metrics and bowl eligibility.

Because of this structure, Arizona cannot play every conference team in 2024. The Sporting News report details that Arizona’s 2024 schedule will feature Kansas but not Kansas State, meaning the two Wildcats will meet only in the 2025 season or later. The same logic applies to other teams: the conference will spread the 10 conference games across all 14 members, ensuring a balanced yet incomplete yearly slate.

How the Rotation Works

To break down the rotation, the Big 12 will use a six‑team “core” rotation within each division—though the league has not yet formally adopted a divisional format. For the 2024–25 season, the divisions are effectively split by the original 10‑team alignment and the new four Pac‑12 schools. Arizona and Arizona State will be paired in the same division, while UCLA and USC will form the other Pac‑12‑centric division. This creates a natural set of inter‑division games that will be played every year, while the remaining four games are chosen from the cross‑division pool.

The Sporting News article includes a handy visual from the Big 12’s own website that shows which teams will miss each other in 2024. Arizona’s missing opponents include Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and Kansas State. Conversely, Kansas State’s “missed” opponents are Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, USC and Houston. This rotation explains why the two teams have not yet crossed paths in a conference setting.

Why the Question Matters

For the two programs, the game’s classification has practical repercussions. A conference matchup counts toward a team’s record in the race for the Big 12 title, influences bowl eligibility, and can affect national rankings. In contrast, a non‑conference game is treated as a “friendly” in terms of conference standings, though it still carries weight in the eyes of the College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee, which scrutinizes strength of schedule.

The Sporting News piece highlights the frustration among fans who are used to conference rivalries carrying a higher stakes narrative. “When Arizona and Kansas State play in 2025, the game will be a genuine conference showdown,” said a spokesperson from the Big 12’s scheduling office. “Until then, it remains a non‑conference battle that still showcases the talent of both teams but does not impact their conference record.”

Coaches have also weighed in. Kansas State head coach Mike Sanford Jr. said that while the team welcomes the opportunity to face Arizona in a neutral‑site contest in 2024, “we know that the real test will come when we play them as part of the Big 12 schedule.” Arizona’s offensive coordinator, Todd Reeser, echoed that sentiment: “We’re excited to have this game on the calendar, but we’re even more focused on preparing for the 2025 conference matchup.”

Broader Implications for the Big 12

The Sporting News article goes beyond the Arizona‑Kansas State pairing, noting that the conference’s realignment will reshape power dynamics across the league. With the addition of two high‑profile schools in the Pacific and four from the “non‑conference” pool, the Big 12 is now positioned to rival the SEC and ACC for national attention. However, the lack of a championship game for the 2024–25 season—since the conference has yet to adopt a divisional structure—means that teams must finish the season with the best conference record to win the title.

Moreover, the schedule’s design ensures that each team will play at least three non‑conference games in a 12‑game season, a change that could benefit mid‑tier programs like Kansas State by giving them a chance to schedule “stretch” opponents for an improved record. Conversely, programs like Arizona, with a strong football brand and national fan base, may see their national ranking hinge on the performance of the new Pac‑12 schools as they adjust to the Big 12’s style of play.

Looking Ahead

For fans of Arizona and Kansas State, the answer to why isn’t Arizona vs. Kansas State a Big 12 conference game? is simply that the conference’s scheduling framework, designed to accommodate 14 teams within a 10‑game format, dictates that certain pairings will be omitted each season. The 2024–25 season will be the first to feature a fully integrated Big 12 schedule that reflects the new membership, and the first time many of the historic rivalries will be played under conference rules.

As the season unfolds, the Sporting News will continue to track the shifting landscape of the Big 12, from the impact of the new teams on bowl eligibility to the potential for a 2025 championship game once the divisions settle into place. For now, the game between Arizona and Kansas State will remain a showcase of talent, but not a conference showdown—until the two schools finally meet in the heart of the Big 12 in 2025.