Big 12 releases 2023 Texas conference schedule

In a release that came almost two months later than the 2022 version, the Big 12 released the 2023 conference schedule on Tuesday, including the slate for the Texas Longhorns.

“I would like to thank our fans for their patience awaiting this historic schedule,” said Commissioner Brett Yormark. “Given its importance, the complexities of weaving in four new schools, adding a third time zone and ensuring alignment with key stakeholders we were very deliberate with its development. I look forward to another highly competitive season of Big 12 football, and to welcoming our new members and their fans into the league.”

Temporarily at 14 teams, the conference will not use a divisional setup.

For what will be, at the least, the penultimate season in the Big 12 for head coach Steve Sarkisian’s program, Texas plays two of the four new members — a road trip to face Houston on Oct. 21 and a home game against BYU the following week. The Cougars and the Longhorns haven’t played since 2002, the conclusion of a series that featured two games in Austin and a game in Houston in 2001. Texas and BYU have played five games, with the Horns winning just once, in 2011, while suffering losses in 2013 and 2014.

Dropping off of the schedule are Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

Texas opens conference play with a road trip to Waco on Sept. 23, returns home to face Kansas on Sept. 30, then heads up I-35 to Dallas for the annual grudge match against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.

The following week features the season’s bye directly in the middle of the schedule before facing the newcomers in consecutive games. Then Texas hosts Kansas State on Nov. 4 and travels to Fort Worth for the TCU game before heading to Ames to play Iowa State and closing the season on Nov. 25 at home against Texas Tech.

The non-conference slate features the season opener at home against Sept. 2, the long-awaited trip to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama on Sept. 9, and a home game against Wyoming on Sept. 16.

The league will receive television selections for the first three weeks of the season by June 1.