How tough are ASU’s and Arizona’s schedules in 1st Big 12 football season?

The Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats enter their first football season in the Big 12 as the conference looks to crown a new champion after defending champs Texas Longhorns left for the SEC.

Arizona State and Arizona join former Pac-12 teams Colorado and Utah as newcomers to the 16-team conference. But how challenging of a schedule do they have with parity making the conference favorites a bit unpredictable?

It’s not easy for the Sun Devils. CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah has Arizona State with the second-toughest schedule, behind the Colorado Buffaloes with the hardest schedule in the conference.

The Sun Devils have one of the most undesirable nonconference runs in the country with Wyoming, Mississippi State and an ascending Texas State. The only home conference game where the Sun Devils are likely to be less than a 5-point underdog is BYU in the penultimate week of the season. Every game on the schedule is losable.

Arizona State was picked to finish last in the Big 12. Meanwhile, the rival Wildcats were picked to finish fifth in the preseason media poll.

Jeyarajah has Arizona 14th in strength of schedule, behind the Kansas Jayhawks and Kansas State Wildcats with the easiest schedule in the conference. Both Kansas schools notably were picked ahead of Arizona in the preseason poll.

The Wildcats play a game against Kansas State that’s technically a nonconference tilt. Going to Utah in the first week of Big 12 play will be a massive test. Survive it and the schedule opens up. There’s no Kansas, Kansas State (as a conference game), Oklahoma State or Iowa State. Arizona closes the year with UCF, Houston, TCU and Arizona State, which could set up a conference title game run.

Arizona State’s 2024 football schedule

Saturday, Aug. 31 vs. Wyoming — 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 7 vs. Mississippi State — 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 12 at Texas State — 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 21 at Texas Tech

BYE

Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Kansas

Friday, Oct. 11 vs. Utah — 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 19 at Cincinnati

BYE

Saturday, Nov. 2 at Oklahoma State

Saturday, Nov. 9 vs. UCF

Saturday, Nov. 16 at Kansas State

Saturday, Nov. 23 vs. BYU

Saturday, Nov. 30 at Arizona

Arizona’s 2024 football schedule

Saturday, Aug. 31 vs. New Mexico — 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 7 vs. Northern Arizona— 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 13 at Kansas State — 5 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 28 at Utah

Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Texas Tech

Saturday, Oct. 12 at BYU

Saturday, Oct. 19 vs. Colorado

Saturday, Oct. 26 vs. West Virginia

Saturday, Nov. 2 at UCF

BYE

Friday, Nov. 15 vs. Houston — 8:15 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 23 at TCU

Saturday, Nov. 30 vs. Arizona State

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