The Big 12 Conference is extending its reach into Mexico, announcing plans Thursday for men’s and women’s basketball games to be played in Mexico City late next year while also exploring a possible football bowl game in Monterrey.
“Mexico is a natural extension to the Big 12 footprint,” commissioner Brett Yormark said Thursday. “Through Big 12 Mexico, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in an international setting, and our conference will have the chance to showcase our brand across Mexico.”
Kansas and Houston, as reported by ESPN on Wednesday, will play each other in men’s and women’s basketball at Mexico City’s Arena CDMX in December 2024. After that, women’s soccer teams and baseball teams from the Big 12 will participate in exhibitions against clubs from the region.
Plans for a football bowl game — to potentially be played following the 2026 regular season — has been targeted for Monterrey.
The Big 12 will expand from 10 to 14 schools on July 1 when BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston officially join the league. Those additions come a year before the departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.
Yormark discussed the Mexico strategy at Big 12 meetings in West Virginia last week, saying expansion remains a focus for the conference…
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