OSU Basketball: How the Cowboys Should Want Their Big 12 Schedule to Look
Steve Lutz and Oklahoma State will soon learn more about what his first season in Stillwater will look like.
The Big 12 announced its home and away schedules for men’s and women’s basketball will be released on Thursday. Of course, with a new-look Big 12, the schedules have gone from essentially the same for every school in a 10-team league to potentially significant variations with 16 teams.
After playing 18 conference games in recent history, the Big 12 has shifted to a 20-game conference schedule that features no byes. Although it has not been confirmed by the Big 12, this likely means every school will face five teams exclusively at home, five teams exclusively on the road, and five teams at home and on the road.
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Although it seems like a well-balanced schedule at first glance, the teams' split could have massive implications for the Big 12 standings. For example, having to play projected top-five teams Kansas and Houston twice in a season compared to once could be the difference in whether a team makes the NCAA Tournament.
In line with that philosophy, OSU would be in a better position if it could play the worst teams in the conference twice. Although those five teams will likely be a mix of every level in the conference, the Cowboys should be hoping for their most difficult one-time opponents to be scheduled on the road.
OSU has struggled to win road games in the Big 12 for a while, regardless of who the opponent is. Assuming the Cowboys continue to have a difficult time away from Stillwater, playing most of those games against teams they might be unlikely to beat anywhere would be a plus.
The counter to that would be to get those best teams in Gallagher-Iba Arena, where OSU might have a rowdy fanbase awaiting a team like Kansas. However, OSU’s best chance of winning games throughout the Big 12 slate will be at home and maximizing its chances of winning by rarely playing top-tier teams at home could be a significant step for OSU making an NCAA Tournament.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.