Arizona head coach Brent Brennan discussed a proposal by BYU head coach Kitana Sitake that Big XII teams play at least one non-conference game from one of the other three power conferences. Arizona plays power non-conference opponent in seven of the next nine seasons.
Arizona will host Kansas State in 2025 after losing in Manhattan in 2024 as their power non-conference opponent. The two-game series was scheduled before Arizona joined the Big XII and is a non-conference game. Arizona does not play a power non-conference opponent in 2026 and 2027.
Northern Arizona and Northern Illinois are at Arizona to begin the 2026 season before the Wildcats play at Washington State. Colorado State hosts Arizona to begin the 2027 season before NAU and Washington State play in Tucson.
Arizona will play home and homes with Nebraska in 2028 and 2031, Virginia Tech in 2028 and 2029 and Alabama in 2030 and 2021. Arizona has a Football Championship Subdivision team scheduled in every season except 2027 through 2031.
"Anything that we can get on the same page where everybody in college football is doing the same thing, I'm all for that. Whether that's how we schedule, how we rev(enue) share, how we NIL, how we recruit, what the calendar is, what the rule is like, I'm all for that. With scheduling is done so far in advance, like, I don't get to weigh in on those things normally, you know what I mean?”"Arizona head coach Brent Brennan
Most of the Arizona schedule was set before Brennan was hired in January 2024. Schedules have evolved with the mega conference realignment in the past few years. That is why Arizona and Kansas State played a non-conference game despite both now being in the Big XII.
The two-game series against Washington State replaced a previously scheduled home-and-home against BYU. Brennan was very diplomatic in his response to Sitake proposing power non-conference opponents. Programs ultimately set their own schedules, but the Big XII could come to a consensus on future scheduling.
With the revision of the top four teams receiving byes in the College Football Playoff, playing non-conference games against the ACC, Big 10 and SEC would benefit the Big XII. In the inaugural CFP, the four highest-ranked conference winners received first-round byes.