How UConn's Potential Move to the Big 12 Could Impact Cowboy Basketball

OSU is entering a new era and could soon have a new conference opponent.

Oklahoma State Vice President and Athletic Director Chad Weiberg and President Dr. Kayse Shrum introduce head men's basketball coach Steve Lutz during an introduction ceremony of the at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, April 4, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oklahoma State could soon have a new conference foe, and it could have significant impacts on Cowboy basketball. 

On Friday, reports surfaced that UConn is in talks to join the Big 12 as early as 2026. If the Huskies make that move, their first season would mark Steve Lutz’s third in Stillwater.

While the Cowboys hope they can be a competitive team in the conference by that point, there are no guarantees. Lutz is taking over a program with a roster that is unrecognizable from last season and has only one NCAA Tournament appearance in the past seven seasons. 

The Big 12 is already the premier conference in college basketball, meaning the addition of the back-to-back champs could add to the Cowboys’ load. With a 20-game conference schedule beginning next season, the Big 12 slate is set to be as grueling as ever.

In theory, the best-case scenario would be for a UConn game to simply replace a second game against another powerhouse such as Kansas or Baylor. Of course, the opposite could happen as well, with a second game against UConn is some seasons taking away a game against a bad team.

OSU has only met UConn three times, going 2-1. After beating the Huskies in 1970, the Cowboys matched up with them twice in the past decade. Jawun Evans’ 35 points in 2016-17 helped the Cowboys win in Hawaii.

Meanwhile, the first matchup played on either campus was at UConn in 2022-23, when OSU fell to the eventual national champion. If UConn joins the conference, campus games would be the norm and give Stillwater a chance to see the Huskies for the first time.

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