Who should be BYU Footballs rival in the Big 12?

BYU and all of their fans are looking forward to the official start of Brigham Young University Athletics’ Big 12 season, which begins on July 1st, in less than two months.

The first football schedule of this exciting new era was released earlier this year after a long wait. BYU will join UCF, Houston and Cincinnati in its first Big 12 Conference play in September 2023.

Without Utah in the Big 12 (yet), and neither Boise State and not Utah State, BYU needs a contender in the conference. It’s always been an easy answer until now. Who should it be?

There are a few options.

Oklahoma State

This may seem strange, but the Big 12 Conference felt like the matchup between the Cougars and Cowboys deserved the final week of the regular season, Thanksgiving weekend. Usually these games are reserved for bitter rivals. Does the Big 12 want Oklahoma State to take BYU as its new rival after the Sooners leave after next year?

The fit seems a bit forced. The Pokes have been part of the Big 12 since its inception in 1996. These two teams have a limited history and are ancient. They last played each other in 1976. Both games came in a bowl, and the first, in 1974, came Fiesta Bowl.

Oklahoma State is certainly a solid program, with seven 10+ win seasons in the last 13 years, including a New Years Six Bowl win in 2021.

Maybe we’re reading too much into the Big 12, keeping these two programs on the final weekend of the regular season.

Cincinnati

It would make sense if the conference wanted to pit two new players against each other in the rivalry, just like the PAC-12 did with Utah and Colorado. Although Houston is technically the closest newcomer geographically, the Cougars and Bearcats will be kicked off in BYU’s first Big 12 Conference home game. It’s a historic night, and Cincinnati is on the opposite sideline.

The two teams have also met somewhat recently, with the Cougars winning both meetings in 2015 and 2016.

Cincinnati carries clout, just two seasons removed from a spot in the College Football Playoff. But like Oklahoma State, this doesn’t feel natural.

TCU

This looks much more natural. The Horned Frogs and Cougars were conference mates in the WAC and Mountain to the west 1996-1998 and then 2005-2010. They have fought epic battles. BYU fans would like to forget a heartbreaking 51-50 overtime loss to TCU in 2005. TCU is 6-5 in 11 games so far.

The two programs are scheduled to join the network on Oct. 14 in Fort Worth.

Additionally, TCU, like BYU, is a private school affiliated with Christianity. Very few Power 5 schools can say that. A matchup with TCU for the third time in a different conference is one of the most interesting parts of BYU heading into the Big 12.

TCU is the gold standard for expansion members to thrive in their new, tighter conference. The Horned Frogs won the Big 12 Tournament in 2014 and have won two New Years Six Bowls, including last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.

Baylor

Baylor and BYU have already met two years in a row. The 2022 edition was an epic, double-overtime showdown that saw BYU knock off then-No. 9 Baylor 26-20. The crowd stormed the field as they defeated their future conference foe.

Most of the time, rivalries are born out of bad blood. In this case, it almost feels like the opposite. Baylor has been one of the most gracious and accommodating programs toward BYU joining the conference. Fans have already exchanged cheers in both home stadiums.

It feels so right, except the Big 12 Conference felt BYU and Baylor needed a break from each other and didn’t schedule a game for 2023. That doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t be contenders. But it doesn’t look like the Bears and Cougars are part of the conference’s protected rivalry. At least not yet.

Considering they’ve had some entertaining matches recently, as well as the label of a private religious school, this seems like a no-brainer.

Perhaps the conference will reconsider a possible competition in 2024.