SALT LAKE CITY—The Runnin’ Utes are stepping into a defining season—year two in the Big 12 and the first under head coach Alex Jensen, and now Utah knows it’s path after the Big 12 officially unveiled its 2025–26 schedule.

The Utes now know the gauntlet ahead: five Saturday home games in the Huntsman Center, a historic visit to Allen Fieldhouse, and a full dose of regional rivalries.

Jensen inherits a group with proven veterans and a wave of new additions designed to bolster depth, skill, and athleticism as the Utes look to establish themselves in one of the toughest leagues in college basketball.

Utah’s 2025-26 Big 12 Schedule

Utah begins league play with some three big contests. They’ll be at home on Jan. 3 against the Arizona Wildcats, before a trip to Boulder follows on Jan. 7, where the Utes will take on Colorado. Then the Runnin’ Utes host rival BYU on Jan. 10 in what promises to be a marquee game early in Jensen’s tenure.

From there, Utah will hit the road for tilts against Texas Tech (Jan. 14) and Kansas State (Jan. 20) to test the squad’s resilience, before round two against rival BYU on Jan. 24 at the Marriott Center.

The middle of the schedule provides a historic first. Utah will travel to Kansas’ legendary Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 7—a year after stunning the Jayhawks in Salt Lake City. They’ll also welcome Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars at home just three days later. This also looks to be Utah’s toughest two games back to back on the schedule.

Late February and early March are highlighted by matchups against Arizona State, UCF, Iowa State, and Colorado (Senior Night on March 3), before closing on the road against Baylor (March 7).

Here’s a look at the complete conference schedule:

Jan. 3 — Arizona (Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City)
Jan. 7 — Colorado (CU Events Center; Boulder, Colorado)
Jan. 10 — BYU (Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City)
Jan. 14 — Texas Tech (United Supermarkets Arena; Lubbock, Texas)
Jan. 17 — TCU (Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City)
Jan. 20 — Kansas State (Bramlage Coliseum; Manhattan, Kansas)
Jan. 24 — BYU (Marriott Center; Provo, Utah)
Jan. 31 — Oklahoma State (Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City)
Feb.4. — Arizona State (Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City)
Feb. 7 — Kansas (Allen Fieldhouse; Lawrence, Kansas)
Feb. 10 — Houston (Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City)
Feb. 15 — Cincinnati (Fifth Third Arena; Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 18 — West Virginia (WVU Coliseum; Morgantown, West Virginia)
Feb. 21 — UCF (Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City)
Feb. 24 — Iowa State (Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City)
Feb. 28 — Arizona State (Desert Financial Arena; Tempe, Arizona)
March 3 — Colorado (Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City)
March 7 — Baylor (Foster Pavilion; Waco, Texas)

The Big 12 men’s basketball tournament is scheduled for March 10-14 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

New Faces in Salt Lake City

Utah has brought in three players who will provide minutes at point guard. This will be an intriguing position to sort out, given the fact that all three have a case to start, but particularly Brown and McHenry. Regardless of who wins the starting job, the others will fulfill a very important role off the bench. Obomate Abbey will serve as additional depth here after a fantastic outing with the Finnish national squad earlier this summer.

Utah has brought in a couple of guys that fit quite nicely as off-ball guards. Both Jacob Patrick and Elijah Moore have potential as shooters, but there’s a bit of a question mark around them. Jensen needs both of these players to realize their shooting potential to provide floor spacing and scoring.

On the wing, Utah has brought in a couple of really intriguing players. Wes Wilcox revealed that Jakhi Howard was a player who had the endorsement of NBA scouts and personnel. Similarly, Seydou Traore came to Utah with the help of an NBA coach. Utah has drastically improved the athleticism and potential at this spot. However, Keanu Dawes will serve as Utah’s most prominent player, and as a versatile forward, capable of playing inside and out.

If the roster has an area of concern, it would be the front court. Utah will rely on James Okonkwo to be the primary big man, and he should be capable on both ends of the floor. However, he is the only big with playing experience, now that Babacar Faye is out for the year with an injury.

Utah will need junior Josh Hayes and redshirt freshman Ibi Traore to emerge as a contributor to solidify the depth here.

What to expect from Utah

Utah’s move into the Big 12 was never going to be easy, but the Utes proved last year they could hang with the league’s elite—highlighted by their upset of Kansas in Salt Lake City. This season, the combination of a favorable mix of home games, and marquee showdowns against national powers offers both tests and opportunities.

Fans can get their first look at Jensen’s squad in an exhibition game vs. Nevada on Oct. 17 (free general admission), followed by another tune-up before the season officially tips off against San Jose State on Nov. 3. From there, the road only gets tougher.

For a Utah program eager to carve out its place in the Big 12 under new leadership, the 2025–26 season promises to be one of the most intriguing in recent memory.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.
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