Arizona’s road back to the top of the Big 12 is already lined with land mines.
Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats enter the 2026-27 season carrying the kind of pressure that comes with success. After winning both the Big 12 regular season and the conference tournament last year, Arizona also reached the Final Four, which means every contender in the league will be aiming straight at them.
The first swing comes right away. Arizona opens conference play on Jan. 2 at Iowa State, a tough start against one of the league’s strongest teams.
The Wildcats have never won at Hilton Coliseum, which is one of four Big 12 arenas where they’re still looking for their first victory. At the same time, Arizona hasn’t dropped a conference opener since 2020 at Stanford, so that streak is on the line too.
The finish is just as demanding. Arizona closes the regular season at Houston on March 6, facing a Kelvin Sampson team that rarely loses at home. That same matchup carried major weight last season, when the Wildcats beat the Coogs to finish 16-2 and secure the outright conference title.
McKale Center will host plenty of the league’s heavy hitters along the way. Arizona’s first home conference game is Jan. 6 against UCF, and senior night comes March 3 against Colorado.
The other big home dates include BYU on Jan. 12, Arizona State on Jan.
16, Houston on Feb. 6, Kansas on Feb. 20 and Baylor on Feb.
UConn is also headed to Tucson, with the Huskies visiting on Nov. 18.
Arizona will play Arkansas in Phoenix on Dec. 19.
The schedule has a few quirks, too. Arizona will play on every day of the week except Thursday and Saturday, and it gets two Big Monday spots: Feb. 8 at home against TCU and Feb. 22 at BYU.
The Wildcats also have a rare marquee Friday game, traveling to Lubbock to face Texas Tech on Jan. 22.
There isn’t a punishing stretch of true road trips waiting for Arizona. The lone one comes with West Virginia on Jan. 30 and Cincinnati on Feb.
- The only other back-to-back road games are in mid-February, with Arizona State on Feb. 13 and Oklahoma State on Feb.
Before any of that, the season begins Sep. 26 in the annual Red-Blue Showcase. Arizona’s three home exhibition games follow: Oct. 13 against San Francisco, Oct. 16 against San Diego State, and Oct. 23 against Eastern Washington.
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Arizona Faces A Harsh Big 12 Reality In The Money Race
The latest look at where power-conference football money is headed puts Arizona in a familiar but uncomfortable spot. A report from The Athletic estimating 2026 roster spending across the major leagues pegged the Wildcats near the bottom of that group, with a budget in the $13-18 million range while the sports biggest players, including Texas and Ohio State, are operating at a much higher level.
For Brent Brennan, the numbers only reinforce what the Big 12 already makes clear: keeping up is going to require more than occasional flashes on the field. Arizona has to keep pushing investment forward just to stay in the race for conference relevance, and the gap between the sports haves and everyone else is only getting wider. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Fans Should Watch This Threat To Tommy Lloyds Recruiting Pipeline
For Arizona, the latest college sports debate in Washington is worth watching because it could eventually reach straight into Tommy Lloyds recruiting model. Senators Tim Walberg and Jon Husted have introduced the TEAM USA Act, a bill aimed at college programs that have leaned heavily on international talent, something that has become part of the modern recruiting landscape for schools across the West and beyond.
The proposal would limit rosters to no more than 20% international student-athletes, and the earliest it could take effect is the 2029-30 season. Gonzaga is one of the programs that could feel the squeeze, given its long history of pulling from overseas and its current run of internationally born players committed for future seasons, which is why Arizona fans have reason to keep an eye on how this plays out for a familiar recruiting rival. [Read more 🡒]
Arizonas Frontcourt Suddenly Hinges On One Unsettled Tommy Lloyd Decision
RJ Godfrey has already become one of the most closely watched newcomers around Arizonas frontcourt, even though his status still hangs in legal limbo. The Clemson transfer is practicing with the Wildcats and plans to take part in upcoming events while he waits for the next step in his fight over a fifth year of eligibility, a case that has quickly turned into more than a footnote for Tommy Lloyds roster.
The uncertainty matters because Arizona added Godfrey with the idea that he could help right away, and the appeal process now has his future tied to a ruling no one in Tucson can control. For now, he is on the floor and preparing as if he will be part of the season, but the Wildcats are still left waiting to learn whether that preparation will carry over into real games. [Read more 🡒]