Utah basketball, Big 12 Conference announce home and away designations for 2026-27 season
Jun 11, 2026, 1:14 PM | Updated: Jun 12, 2026, 11:06 am
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - FEBRUARY 10: Head Coach Alex Jensen of the Utah Utes calls in a play during the second half of their game against the Houston Cougars at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on February 10, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY — Alex Jensen and the Runnin’ Utes now know the shape of its 2026-27 Big 12 men’s basketball schedule.
The Big 12 Conference announced its 2026-27 home and away designations Thursday, giving the Runnin’ Utes their first look at what Alex Jensen’s second conference slate will look like inside one of the toughest leagues in college basketball.
The full schedule, including dates, tipoff times and television designations, will be announced later.
Utah will again play an 18-game conference schedule, with three opponents appearing on the schedule twice. The Utes will face BYU, Colorado and Oklahoma State in home-and-home matchups during the 2026-27 season.
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That gives Utah two natural regional games against BYU and Colorado, while Oklahoma State remains part of the rotation for a second meeting.
The home schedule will bring several of the Big 12’s biggest brands and most physical programs to the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Utah will host Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
The road slate will send the Utes to Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, TCU and UCF.
📰 | Home / Away Designations for 2026-27 Campaign Released by @Big12Conference.
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— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) June 11, 2026
Utah’s 2026-27 Big 12 home opponents
- Baylor
- BYU
- Cincinnati
- Colorado
- Kansas
- Kansas State
- Oklahoma State
- Texas Tech
- West Virginia
The home slate is challenging, but provide great opportunities.
Kansas, Baylor, Texas Tech and Cincinnati all coming to Salt Lake City gives the Utes a strong collection of home opportunities against programs that have either consistently operated near the top of the sport or brought a rugged, high-level Big 12 style. Those are the kinds of games Utah must eventually turn into home-court advantages if the program is going to climb in the league.
Utah’s 2026-27 Big 12 away opponents
- Arizona
- Arizona State
- BYU
- Colorado
- Houston
- Iowa State
- Oklahoma State
- TCU
- UCF
The road schedule, however, will not be forgiving.
Trips to Houston, Iowa State, Arizona, Arizona State and TCU create a demanding travel and competitive profile. Houston has become one of the sport’s defining programs under Kelvin Sampson, Iowa State remains one of the toughest home environments in the country, and Arizona continues to carry national expectations as one of the league’s premier basketball brands.
The BYU home-and-home will also remain one of the most important pieces of the schedule from a fan-interest standpoint. Utah and BYU renewed their conference rivalry inside the Big 12, and the two-game setup ensures the rivalry will again have a presence in both Salt Lake City and Provo.
The Colorado home-and-home gives Utah another regional matchup with familiarity, while Oklahoma State provides a second crack at a program that, like Utah, is trying to strengthen its place in the new-look Big 12.
The Utes are entering a critical stage under Jensen, who is working to reshape the program’s identity with a roster built around improved size, skill and defensive versatility. Year one in the Big 12 showed how thin the margins can be. Year two under Jensen will be about proving Utah can be more competitive possession to possession, especially against the league’s more physical and experienced teams.
The Huntsman Center slate gives Utah real chances to make statements, but the larger goal is consistency. In this league, one upset does not change a season by itself. The teams that climb are the ones that protect their home floor, steal a few road games and avoid long losing stretches when the schedule tightens.
The Bottom Line
Utah’s next Big 12 schedule will give the Runnin’ Utes plenty of opportunity, but not much margin for error.
The home slate is attractive, the road slate is demanding, and the home-and-home matchups with BYU, Colorado and Oklahoma State give the schedule a strong regional and competitive spine.
For Jensen’s program, the assignment is straightforward even if the path is difficult: make the Huntsman Center matter, show more resilience on the road, and start turning Big 12 opportunities into proof of progress.
