The Big 12 will play basketball, women’s soccer and baseball games in Mexico beginning in December 2024 and plans to explore creating a bowl game in Monterrey, it said Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The games, which will begin with Kansas and Houston playing men’s and women’s basketball games in Mexico City’s Arena CDMX, are part of the conference’s “international extension” into Mexico.
- Big 12 women’s soccer and baseball teams will play exhibitions against clubs in the region, the Big 12 said.
- If the conference is successful in creating the bowl game, which the Big 12 says would begin in 2026, it would be the first bowl ever held in Mexico.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Why is the Big 12 making this move?
Commissioner Brett Yormark has been aggressive in exploring ways to increase the Big 12’s national relevance, including efforts to add new members, emphasizing the league’s basketball strength and trying to alter the league’s image into “younger, hipper, cooler.” Hosting events in Mexico is another creative way to expand the league’s brand to attract eyeballs and revenue. That the launch pits longtime men’s basketball power and four-time champion Kansas with Big 12 newcomer Houston, a resurgent program with rich history and recent…
