Big 12 Reportedly Nearing Contract to Play Football, Basketball Games in Mexico
The Big 12 may be heading South of the border in 2024.
Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle and Chris Vannini of The Athletic reported the conference is working toward finalizing a deal to host football and men's basketball games in Mexico as early as the 2024 calendar year.
The Big 12 hopes to make it a multi-year agreement with football games likely happening in Monterrey and basketball games in Mexico City. If things go well, the conference could host additional sports in the country in the future.
Vannini noted Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has already made his mark with plans such a partnership with New York City's Rucker Park to possibly host exhibition basketball games and a Big 12-only NFL combine event in Texas.
This could allow the league to make a move toward an international audience like when the Big Ten hosted a football game between Nebraska and Northwestern last year in Ireland.
The Big 12 is already going through a number of major changes.
Marquee programs Texas and Oklahoma are set to leave the conference for the SEC following the 2023-24 athletic season. That leaves quite the hole when it comes to traditional powerhouses, but the league responded by adding Cincinnati, BYU, UCF and Houston.
All four of those schools will play a Big 12 football schedule during the upcoming campaign.
There have been no formal announcements regarding which teams will play in Mexico, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see some type of rotation if it does end up being a multi-year agreement. That would expose more teams to an international audience and provide more of a fairness balance when it comes to traveling and potentially losing home games.
Vannini noted Kansas and Houston are seen as possible teams for the first basketball game, which would be quite the high-profile showdown.
The Jayhawks are a blueblood program with an extensive history of success, while the Cougars advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in each of the last four NCAA men's tournaments, including when they reached the 2021 Final Four.
