Even though Baylor and Utah will both be members of the Big 12 Conference in 2024, the two college football teams are set to play each other in a non-conference matchup next season. It makes a lot of sense, but it doesn’t make any sense at the same time.
The Bears and Utes originally scheduled two non-conference games back in 2015. They played their first matchup of the home-and-home series earlier this year in Waco, Texas on Sept. 9.
Baylor lost by seven to Utah.
Meanwhile, just one month prior, the latter packed up its bags and joined the Big 12 Conference. But the move will not take into effect until 2024.
Thus, this season’s non-conference matchup did not involve two Big 12 teams. The Utes are still part of the Pac-12, for now.
Due to the upcoming move, however, the status of the rematch was in question.
Utah and Baylor planned to play the second leg of the home-and-home at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Sept. 14, 2024 when they first scheduled the series eight years ago. That will still happen, with a weird twist.
The Big 12 announced its scheduling matrix for the 2024-2027 seasons on Wednesday. It did not include a game between the Bears and the Utes next fall.
In conjunction with the announcement, the two schools confirmed that the college football game will still be played. It will not be cancelled. It will not be played as a league matchup.
Utah’s scheduled game against Baylor on Sept. 14, 2024 in Rice-Eccles Stadium will remain a non-conference game for next season.
— University of Utah
Baylor will also play three non-conference games, hosting Tarleton State on Aug. 31 and Air Force on Sept. 7, before hitting the road to face Utah in a non-league game on Sept. 14 in Salt Lake City.
— Baylor University
Conference realignment has completely reshaped the landscape of college football. In this instance, it led to a non-conference game between two conference opponents.
And it won’t be the only one!
Kansas State announced back in September that it will play its non-conference series against future Big 12 opponent Arizona as scheduled in 2024 and 2025. Both teams will be members of the Big 12, but it will not count as a conference game.
As weird as it may seem, this allows both sides of both matchups to keep their contractual obligations. They will not have to cancel, which could result in financial penalty.