On Tuesday, the new-look Big 12 officially released the 2012 football schedule, complete with new member West Virginia, which will join the conference on July 1.
We've been told that the schedule release delay has nothing to do with West Virginia's legal wrangling with the Big East. Coincidentally or not, the Mountaineers also went public Tuesday, declaring what is rumored to be upwards of $20 million buyout from the Big East. Financial terms were not revealed, except to say that "no state or taxpayer funds, tuition or academic support monies will be used."
The full 2012 football schedule can be accessed here:
A week-by-week breakdown of Big 12 games (home team is listed first):
Sept. 15
Kansas vs. TCU
TCU christens its Big 12 ship as Kansas begins its march under new coach Charlie Weis.
Sept. 22
Oklahoma vs. Kansas State
The presumptive annual Big 12 favorite against the league's favorite underdog. As good as K-State was this past season, its poorest showing was against the Sooners in a 58-17 beatdown.
Sept. 29
West Virginia vs. Baylor
Iowa State vs. Texas Tech
Oklahoma State vs. Texas
If West Virginia is going to be a member of the Big 12, it might as well learn early the new truth about Baylor. Five years ago this was a slam-dunk Homecoming win. Nowadays, not so much. Texas is in Stillwater to battle Oklahoma State in a good test for both after non-conference play. It will be interesting to see if the starting quarterbacks in this game are the same ones who began the season under center.
Oct. 6
Texas vs. West Virginia
TCU vs. Iowa State
Kansas State vs. Kansas
Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma
A Top-10 matchup, perhaps, as West Virginia travels to Austin to battle the Longhorns. This makes back-to-back conference games for Texas before it plays Oklahoma in Dallas the following week. Hardly a trap-game for Oklahoma, the Sooners will attempt to return last season's favor to Texas Tech in Lubbock after the Red Raiders gave Bob Stoops just his third home loss during his tenure at OU.
Oct. 13
Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas)
Baylor vs. TCU
Iowa State vs. Kansas State
Kansas vs. Oklahoma State
Texas Tech vs. West Virginia
Texas reaches the peak of a brutal three-game stretch. Baylor and TCU are back in Waco for the Big 12 edition of the 2011 season opener in which the Bears knocked off the Horned Frogs.
Oct. 20
Texas vs. Baylor
Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State
Oklahoma vs. Kansas
West Virginia vs. Kansas State
TCU vs. Texas Tech
Baylor has beaten Texas in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1991-92. TCU and Texas Tech will meet for the 55th time (Tech leads the series 28-23-3). Will Oklahoma State fans have forgotten by this point what Iowa State did last year to the Cowboys' BCS Championship Game hopes in 2011?
Oct. 27
Iowa State vs. Baylor
Kansas vs. Texas
Kansas State vs. Texas Tech
Oklahoma State vs. TCU
Oklahoma State welcomes newcomer TCU to Stillwater. One of the quirks of the Big 12 schedule is that OSU and Texas are the only schools to play at home against newbies TCU and WVU.
Nov. 3
Baylor vs. Kansas
Iowa State vs. Oklahoma
Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State
West Virginia vs. TCU
Texas Tech vs. Texas
In the battle of Big 12 newcomers, TCU heads to Morgantown in what actually should be a crucial game in the league standings. If Texas Tech is having an average season, it's a safe bet it'll throw a monkey wrench in one contender's title hopes.
Nov. 10
Baylor vs. Oklahoma
Texas vs. Iowa State
Texas Tech vs. Kansas
TCU vs. Kansas State
Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia
Last season, Baylor beat Oklahoma for the first time in school history. Doing it in Norman is a bit tougher, but this is the week the Bears can show that last year was no flash in the pan. Iowa State seems to find an upset on the schedule each year under coach Paul Rhoads. If Texas is rolling at this point in the year, watch out. This will also be the final week of the Big 12 calendar with all 10 teams in action.
Nov. 17
Baylor vs. Kansas State
Kansas vs. Iowa State
West Virginia vs. Oklahoma
Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech
Key game in Morgantown with Big 12 and BCS Championship Game implications on the line. It's a battle of the reigning Big East co-champions against the winner of seven of the last 16 Big 12 titles.
Nov. 24
Texas vs. TCU
Baylor vs. Texas Tech (Arlington, TX)
Iowa State vs. West Virginia
Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
The Texas-TCU game is expected to be moved to Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22) once the TV networks decide who will take that game. Bedlam heads to Norman after back-to-back seasons in Stillwater. Baylor and Texas Tech have renewed their deal to play at Cowboys Stadium. That whole thing about Iowa State finding an upset somewhere on the schedule -- watch out Mountaineers in Ames.
Dec. 1
Baylor vs. Oklahoma State
West Virginia vs. Kansas
Kansas State vs. Texas
TCU vs. Oklahoma
On the week where other conferences are down to a two-horse title game, the Big 12 will have a nearly full gate galloping toward the finish line together. A strong lineup will fill multiple national TV windows. All four matchups have potential to decide or influence the Big 12 championship, leaning heavily on the Horned Frogs-Sooners tilt in Fort Worth.
