The Big 12 is a college athletic conference, which is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
It consists of 10 full-member universities.
Its 10 members, in the states of Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia, include two private Christian universities and eight public universities.
The Big 12 Conference was founded in February 1994.
Inspired by the international success of the NFL, NBA, and MLB, the Big 12 aims to play games in Mexico as early as 2024.
Below, we look at the details of the Big 12 playing football and basketball games in Mexico and whether they will be successful.
Big 12 Staging Basketball & Football Games In Mexico
The Big 12 is planning to enter a multi-year deal to play regular-season football and men’s basketball games in Mexico starting in 2024.
The Big 12 is exploring basketball and football games in Mexico, per @HoustonChron.
Officials are targeting a 2024-2025 game in Monterrey's Estadio BBVA — nicknamed "The Steel Giant." pic.twitter.com/HpWLNm8NTo
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 1, 2023
Monterrey (football) and Mexico City (men’s basketball) have been identified as possible host cities.
There are also future plans to add women’s basketball, women’s soccer, and baseball.
Kansas and incoming Big 12 member Houston have been targeted as a possible preferred matchup for Mexico City.
No dates or teams have been officially finalized.
An announcement from the Big 12 is expected soon.
The Big 12’s exploration of Mexico-based events is its latest measure to expand its reach under Brett Yormark.
He has embraced a reimagined approach for the conference since succeeding Bog Bowlsby in 2022.
Big 12 commissioner Yormark has been inspired by the international success of the MLB, NFL, and NBA, all of which played games in Mexico with success.
A league source said, “The commissioner wants to emulate the success pro sports teams have had. That would require an extended multi-year visit, not just a weekend one-off.”
Estadio BBVA which is a 53,500-seat stadium in Monterrey, is the Big 12’s target venue for football games, according to multiple reports.
It is still not clear which schools may participate in the tentative football games.
Basketball games, meanwhile, could be played at the 22,300-season Arena CDMX in Mexico City.
Will Playing In Mexico Be A Success For The Big 12?
Like the NFL, NBA, and MLB, the Big 12 will enjoy success playing in Mexico.
It may not have as much success playing in Mexico as the pro sports league.
This is due to players not being as popular in Mexico.
However, there is a demand for more sports in Mexico.
Entering a multi-year deal with Mexico will allow the Big 12 to grow in popularity in Mexico.
Sporting leagues are wise to expand and try to grow in different parts of the world.
This will increase revenue from all over the world, instead of mostly just from the United States.
The Big 12 will enjoy success with a multi-year agreement to play basketball, football, and more sporting events in Mexico.
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