University of Houston Athletics
Inaugural Big 12 Slate Revealed
11/2/2023 2:00:00 PM | Baseball
Houston rekindles historic matchups, hosts former Southwest Conference foes Texas, Baylor
IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference released the 2024 conference schedule matrix on Thursday, revealing who, when and where the Houston Cougars will play in their inaugural season.
Houston has deep ties to its new conference opponents, going 6-3 in each of its last meetings against its 2024 conference opponents, beating Baylor (2017), Cincinnati (2023), Kansas (1998), Kansas State (2009), Oklahoma State (2012) and UCF (2023).
The Cougars will open the Big 12 season at home against Baylor in early March, hosting the Bears March 8-10 for the first time since 2017 and the first time in a three-game series since 2016, winning both the last meeting and the last home series. The Bears and Cougars have met 159 times dating back to 1951, the fourth-most meetings between opponents in Houston's history.
A three-game set at BYU March 14-16, who hasn't made an NCAA Regional since 2017, will pit the two Cougars against each other for the first time in history.
Houston will host Kansas State March 22-24 for the first time since 2009, which also coincides with the last time the two met that season.. The Cougars won the last meeting 3-2 in the series finale.
An Easter Weekend matchup sends the Cougars to Fort Worth, Texas, March 28-30 for the first time since 2011 as Houston aims to end a six-game losing streak to TCU, which won the 2023 Big 12 Championship in Arlington, Texas, en route to the College World Series. Houston leads the all-time series 33-26.
The Cougars' first trip to Lubbock, Texas, since 2012 will open their April set of conference games April 5-7 as Houston will look to win at Texas Tech for the first time since 1996. The all-time series is tightly contested with Texas Tech narrowly holding the advantage 45-41-1.
Houston will then host the Texas Longhorns for the second time in four years April 12-14. The Cougars dropped two of three to the #19 Longhorns in 2021, using a walk-off home run to capture the middle game of the series.
An away series at Cincinnati April 19-21 will be Houston's second of three out-of-state series as the Cougars and Bearcats face each other for the 10th-straight season dating to 2014. Houston owns an 18-12 record against Cincinnati since 2014 but is 6-6 at Cincinnati.
Houston will then get a bye from conference games the weekend of April 26-27 before hosting UCF May 3-5. Houston and UCF played a dramatic series in 2023 in Orlando, including the Cougars' series clinching 12-9 win over the Knights by scoring five runs in the eighth inning before the game was halted due to travel plans. Houston has won 34 of the 66 all-time meetings.
The Cougars' final road conference series, and final trip outside of Texas, takes place at Kansas for the first meeting since 1998. Houston is 3-2 all-time against Kansas.
Houston will close out the Big 12 slate with 2023 co-conference champions Oklahoma State May 16-18. The Cougars and Cowboys have met 87 times, the eighth-most meetings in Houston history.
Teams will play 10 of 12 possible opponents for a total of 30 Conference games. Houston will not face West Virginia or Oklahoma in its inaugural year in the new league.
The top 10 teams in the regular season standings advance to the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship, which returns to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 21-25.
Oklahoma State, Texas and West Virginia shared the Big 12 regular season title, marking three of the six Big 12 programs that were selected to the 2023 NCAA Championships, the Conference's most since 2017. The Big 12 had multiple teams (TCU, Texas) reach Super Regionals for the fifth consecutive event and has sent at least one team to Omaha in every season since 2014. TCU, who swept the Fayetteville Regional and Fort Worth Super Regional, became the fourth different Big 12 school to reach the semifinals of the MCWS in the past four competitions.
FULL SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
March 8-10
Baylor at Houston
BYU at West Virginia (Thu.-Sat.)
UCF at Oklahoma
Cincinnati at Kansas State
TCU at Kansas
Texas at Texas Tech
March 15-17
Houston at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
Kansas at Cincinnati
Oklahoma at TCU
Oklahoma State at UCF
Texas Tech at Baylor
March 22-24
Baylor at Texas
BYU at Texas Tech (Thu.-Sat.)
UCF at Kansas
K-State at Houston
TCU at Oklahoma State
West Virginia at Oklahoma
March 29-31 (Games may be played Thursday-Saturday by mutual agreement)
Cincinnati at Baylor (Thu.-Sat.)
Houston at TCU (Thu.-Sat.)
Kansas at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
Oklahoma State at West Virginia
Texas at K-State
Texas Tech at UCF (Thu.-Sat.)
April 5-7
BYU at Texas (Thu.-Sat.)
Houston at Texas Tech
K-State at UCF
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
TCU at Cincinnati
West Virginia at Kansas
April 12-14
Baylor at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
UCF at West Virginia
Cincinnati at Oklahoma State
K-State at Oklahoma
Texas at Houston
Texas Tech at TCU
April 19-21
Houston at Cincinnati
Kansas at Baylor
Oklahoma at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
Oklahoma State at Kansas State
TCU at Texas
West Virginia at Texas Tech
April 26-28
Baylor at West Virginia
BYU at Oklahoma State
Cincinnati at UCF
K-State at TCU
Texas at Oklahoma
Texas Tech at Kansas
May 3-5
UCF at Houston
Kansas at Kansas State
Oklahoma at Texas Tech
Oklahoma State at Texas
TCU at Baylor
West Virginia at Cincinnati
May 10-12
Baylor at Oklahoma
Cincinnati at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
Houston at Kansas
K-State at West Virginia
Texas at UCF
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State
May 16-18
BYU at K-State
UCF at Baylor
Kansas at Texas
Oklahoma at Cincinnati
Oklahoma State at Houston
West Virginia at TCU
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference. Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win in the Big 12. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN THE DUGOUT CLUB
Fans are invited to join The Dugout Club to directly support Houston Baseball. Members provide financial support directly to Houston Baseball for needs beyond operating budget. For more information about the Dugout Club, text UHBASEBALL to 71777, call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4684) or click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarBB on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Baseball. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at @uhcougarbb.
Houston has deep ties to its new conference opponents, going 6-3 in each of its last meetings against its 2024 conference opponents, beating Baylor (2017), Cincinnati (2023), Kansas (1998), Kansas State (2009), Oklahoma State (2012) and UCF (2023).
The Cougars will open the Big 12 season at home against Baylor in early March, hosting the Bears March 8-10 for the first time since 2017 and the first time in a three-game series since 2016, winning both the last meeting and the last home series. The Bears and Cougars have met 159 times dating back to 1951, the fourth-most meetings between opponents in Houston's history.
A three-game set at BYU March 14-16, who hasn't made an NCAA Regional since 2017, will pit the two Cougars against each other for the first time in history.
Houston will host Kansas State March 22-24 for the first time since 2009, which also coincides with the last time the two met that season.. The Cougars won the last meeting 3-2 in the series finale.
An Easter Weekend matchup sends the Cougars to Fort Worth, Texas, March 28-30 for the first time since 2011 as Houston aims to end a six-game losing streak to TCU, which won the 2023 Big 12 Championship in Arlington, Texas, en route to the College World Series. Houston leads the all-time series 33-26.
The Cougars' first trip to Lubbock, Texas, since 2012 will open their April set of conference games April 5-7 as Houston will look to win at Texas Tech for the first time since 1996. The all-time series is tightly contested with Texas Tech narrowly holding the advantage 45-41-1.
Houston will then host the Texas Longhorns for the second time in four years April 12-14. The Cougars dropped two of three to the #19 Longhorns in 2021, using a walk-off home run to capture the middle game of the series.
An away series at Cincinnati April 19-21 will be Houston's second of three out-of-state series as the Cougars and Bearcats face each other for the 10th-straight season dating to 2014. Houston owns an 18-12 record against Cincinnati since 2014 but is 6-6 at Cincinnati.
Houston will then get a bye from conference games the weekend of April 26-27 before hosting UCF May 3-5. Houston and UCF played a dramatic series in 2023 in Orlando, including the Cougars' series clinching 12-9 win over the Knights by scoring five runs in the eighth inning before the game was halted due to travel plans. Houston has won 34 of the 66 all-time meetings.
The Cougars' final road conference series, and final trip outside of Texas, takes place at Kansas for the first meeting since 1998. Houston is 3-2 all-time against Kansas.
Houston will close out the Big 12 slate with 2023 co-conference champions Oklahoma State May 16-18. The Cougars and Cowboys have met 87 times, the eighth-most meetings in Houston history.
Teams will play 10 of 12 possible opponents for a total of 30 Conference games. Houston will not face West Virginia or Oklahoma in its inaugural year in the new league.
The top 10 teams in the regular season standings advance to the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship, which returns to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 21-25.
Oklahoma State, Texas and West Virginia shared the Big 12 regular season title, marking three of the six Big 12 programs that were selected to the 2023 NCAA Championships, the Conference's most since 2017. The Big 12 had multiple teams (TCU, Texas) reach Super Regionals for the fifth consecutive event and has sent at least one team to Omaha in every season since 2014. TCU, who swept the Fayetteville Regional and Fort Worth Super Regional, became the fourth different Big 12 school to reach the semifinals of the MCWS in the past four competitions.
FULL SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
March 8-10
Baylor at Houston
BYU at West Virginia (Thu.-Sat.)
UCF at Oklahoma
Cincinnati at Kansas State
TCU at Kansas
Texas at Texas Tech
March 15-17
Houston at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
Kansas at Cincinnati
Oklahoma at TCU
Oklahoma State at UCF
Texas Tech at Baylor
March 22-24
Baylor at Texas
BYU at Texas Tech (Thu.-Sat.)
UCF at Kansas
K-State at Houston
TCU at Oklahoma State
West Virginia at Oklahoma
March 29-31 (Games may be played Thursday-Saturday by mutual agreement)
Cincinnati at Baylor (Thu.-Sat.)
Houston at TCU (Thu.-Sat.)
Kansas at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
Oklahoma State at West Virginia
Texas at K-State
Texas Tech at UCF (Thu.-Sat.)
April 5-7
BYU at Texas (Thu.-Sat.)
Houston at Texas Tech
K-State at UCF
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
TCU at Cincinnati
West Virginia at Kansas
April 12-14
Baylor at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
UCF at West Virginia
Cincinnati at Oklahoma State
K-State at Oklahoma
Texas at Houston
Texas Tech at TCU
April 19-21
Houston at Cincinnati
Kansas at Baylor
Oklahoma at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
Oklahoma State at Kansas State
TCU at Texas
West Virginia at Texas Tech
April 26-28
Baylor at West Virginia
BYU at Oklahoma State
Cincinnati at UCF
K-State at TCU
Texas at Oklahoma
Texas Tech at Kansas
May 3-5
UCF at Houston
Kansas at Kansas State
Oklahoma at Texas Tech
Oklahoma State at Texas
TCU at Baylor
West Virginia at Cincinnati
May 10-12
Baylor at Oklahoma
Cincinnati at BYU (Thu.-Sat.)
Houston at Kansas
K-State at West Virginia
Texas at UCF
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State
May 16-18
BYU at K-State
UCF at Baylor
Kansas at Texas
Oklahoma at Cincinnati
Oklahoma State at Houston
West Virginia at TCU
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference. Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win in the Big 12. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN THE DUGOUT CLUB
Fans are invited to join The Dugout Club to directly support Houston Baseball. Members provide financial support directly to Houston Baseball for needs beyond operating budget. For more information about the Dugout Club, text UHBASEBALL to 71777, call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4684) or click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarBB on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Baseball. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at @uhcougarbb.
– UHCougars.com –
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