The University of Arizona unveiled the complete 2026‑27 Big 12 women’s basketball schedule on Thursday, giving fans a clear view of when the Wildcats will face each conference opponent. The season opens on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, when Arizona hosts BYU at the McKale Center, marking one of four teams playing on the league’s first day.
Conference play structure
The Big 12 conference season runs from Dec. 19, 2026 through Feb. 28, 2027, featuring 18 games for each team. Arizona will play a home‑and‑home series with three rivals—Arizona State, Utah and BYU—while the remaining 12 opponents are met once at home and once on the road.
After the regular season, the tournament moves to the T‑Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, from March 3 to either March 7 or March 8, with the championship game reserved for Monday only if BYU reaches the final.
Key dates and matchups
Following the opening BYU game, the Wildcats enjoy an 11‑day break before traveling to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State on Dec. 30. They return home for a home game against Iowa State on Jan. 3.
January brings a busy stretch against the Kansas schools: Kansas on Jan. 6 and Kansas State on Jan. 9. A two‑game home stand follows with Texas Tech (Jan. 13) and TCU (Jan. 17) visiting Tucson.
The team then heads west for back‑to‑back road games at UCF (Jan. 20) and Houston (Jan. 23). The first games of the home‑and‑home series with Utah and Arizona State occur on Jan. 27 (Utah at home) and Jan. 30 (Arizona State in Tempe).
After a brief pause, West Virginia visits Tucson on Feb. 6. The Wildcats travel to Provo for the second BYU meeting on Feb. 10, then host Baylor on Feb. 13. A lone Tuesday conference game pits Cincinnati against Arizona on Feb. 16.
Late‑February sees road trips to Colorado (Feb. 20) and Utah (Feb. 24) before the regular season concludes with a home game against Arizona State on Feb. 27.
Non‑conference challenges
Arizona’s non‑conference schedule begins Nov. 2 with a Hall of Fame Series matchup against Stanford in Las Vegas. The Wildcats also travel to the Jacksonville Classic in Florida, opening against Vanderbilt on Nov. 23 and concluding with George Washington on Nov. 25.
While the Wildcats aim to improve on last season’s 15th‑place finish and 3‑15 conference record, the program boasts a top‑20 recruiting class and several key transfers. The tougher non‑conference slate is expected to provide valuable experience ahead of league play.
Broadcast information
Most games will be streamed on ESPN+, with full broadcast details to be released closer to each contest.
Arizona fans can look forward to a packed calendar of home and road battles, a chance to climb the Big 12 standings, and the opportunity to showcase the talent of a promising roster under the guidance of Coach Jodie Berry.
Original reporting: Arizona Desert Swarm (Tucson Sports) — read the source article.
