Big 12 football schedule release: Texas Longhorns taking on newcomers BYU, Houston in 2023

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian watches from the sidelines during the first half of the Alamo Bowl NCAA college football game against the Washington in San …

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian watches from the sidelines during the first half of the Alamo Bowl NCAA college football game against the Washington in San Antonio, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

by: Billy Gates

Posted: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:02 PM CST

Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 07:35 PM CST

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Big 12 Conference released 2023 football schedules for all 14 teams as four schools join the conference before Texas and Oklahoma make their exit for the Southeastern Conference.

BYU, Houston, Central Florida and Cincinnati are newcomers to the Big 12 next season, and the Texas Longhorns will play two of those teams in the conference’s nine-game regular season.

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Texas opens the season at home against the Rice Owls, and then hits the road to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide to complete the home-and-home series following the Longhorns’ 20-19 loss at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium last season.

Texas begins Big 12 play Sept. 23 at Baylor and returns home the following week to take on Kansas. The Red River Showdown against Oklahoma is set for Oct. 7 at the Cotton Bowl and part of the State Fair of Texas.

The Longhorns take on Houston and BYU in back-to-back weeks, Oct. 21 in Houston and Oct. 28 against BYU at home. They aren’t scheduled to play Central Florida or Cincinnati but could meet them in the conference title game.

Playing two of the four new teams in the league means the Longhorns won’t play traditional conference opponents Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

The league will continue to play without divisions and the top two teams are the end of the regular season will play for the Big 12 title Dec. 2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said adding a third time zone made the schedule difficult to make. BYU is in Provo, Utah and is in the Mountain Time Zone.

“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,” Yormark said. “I look forward to another highly competitive season of Big 12 football, and to welcoming our new members and their fans into the league.”