BYU and Arizona are set to meet on ESPN’s Big Monday for the second year in a row, with the Big 12 and ESPN announcing Monday morning that the Feb. 22 game will again land in the spotlight.
The matchup at the Marriott Center is one of five Big Monday games the Big 12 will have during the 2026-27 season, continuing a partnership with ESPN that reaches its 31st season. Tip is set for 7 p.m. MT on ESPN.
The full slate includes Kansas at Houston on Feb. 1, TCU at Arizona on Feb.
8, Houston at Texas Tech on Feb. 15, Arizona at BYU on Feb. 22 and Iowa State at Kansas on March 1.
Last season’s meeting delivered plenty of drama. BYU fell 86-83, but not before the Cougars clawed back from a 19-point hole against the top-ranked Wildcats.
Big 12 Freshman of the Year AJ Dybantsa led BYU with 24 points, and the Cougars turned a 64-45 deficit with 10:53 left into a game that was down to a single possession with fewer than 16 seconds remaining. Robert Wright III, Richie Saunders and Kennard Davis Jr. sparked the rally with a flurry of 3-pointers, and Wright III’s paint jumper was blocked by Brayden Burries to preserve Arizona’s unbeaten start.
Kevin Young is back for a third season after guiding BYU to 23 wins and the program’s 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance last season. The Cougars also put together a 13-game winning streak in 2025-26, the fourth-longest single-season run in program history, highlighted by a 28-point win over No. 23 Wisconsin and a run to the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational title with wins over Miami and Dayton.
Wright III returns for his second season after earning All-Big 12 honors. He averaged 18.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, scored in double figures in 32 of 35 starts, and posted 13 games of at least 20 points. He had two 30-point games, including a career-high 39 in BYU’s overtime win over Colorado, and his 162 assists ranked 10th in a single season in program history.
He’ll be joined by returners Khadim Mboup, who averaged 2.2 points and 5.1 rebounds, Dawson Baker at 7.5 points per game, Nate Pickens and Brody Kozlowski. Utah natives Collin Chandler and Jake Wahlin are back in the Beehive State with the Cougars, and Tyler Betsey brings experience from 65 games across stops at Cincinnati and Syracuse.
In Other News...
BYU Fans Just Earned Praise Cougar Supporters Will Love
BYUs home crowd picked up some unexpected praise after the recent game at LaVell Edwards Stadium, this time from Les Fifita, the father of Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita. After the Wildcats visit to Provo, he publicly thanked BYU fans for the kindness and hospitality his family experienced, describing a game-day atmosphere that went well beyond the usual back-and-forth of a high-profile college football matchup.
Fifita said BYU supporters welcomed his family, offered food and drinks, and treated them with respect throughout the event. He also tied the experience to something bigger than one Saturday afternoon, saying it shaped how he thinks about running a youth football league, a reminder that the reputation of a fan base can travel well beyond the stadium. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Is Suddenly In A Big 12 Conversation Fans Will Love
BYUs strong start has put the Cougars in a familiar but still noteworthy spot for this early stretch of the season: part of the broader Big 12 conversation while bigger-name programs keep soaking up the national spotlight. LSUs emphatic win over Clemson and Texas comeback at Ohio State have dominated the headlines, and even Alabamas physical showing against Kentucky has drawn more attention than most of the teams quietly building momentum. In that kind of crowded landscape, BYU has managed to keep itself in the mix with a start that deserves a little more notice.
The challenge now is whether the Cougars can turn that early traction into the kind of resume that forces the rest of the Big 12 to take them seriously. Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami have all spent time in the same category of teams off to strong openings but not yet fully embraced by the larger national discussion. For BYU, the next few weeks will go a long way toward showing whether this is just a good start or the beginning of a much louder conference race. [Read more 🡒]
Bear Bachmeier Is Putting BYU In Rare Quarterback Company
Bear Bachmeiers start at BYU has already put him in rare company, with his 14-2 record through 16 starts matching the mark former quarterback Brandon Doman posted at the same point in his own college career. The comparison is more than a curiosity, too, because Doman sees the same steady traits in Bachmeier that helped define his own run in Provo, pointing to his leadership, composure and consistency as signs of a quarterback who has settled into the offense with confidence.
The broader conversation around Bachmeier also has a familiar BYU feel because of the way he has paired with LJ Martin to give the Cougars a productive offensive tandem. It is the kind of quarterback-run game combination that invites memories of Domans era with Luke Staley, and it is part of why Bachmeiers place in program history is beginning to draw attention even with plenty of season still ahead. [Read more 🡒]