Despite both being in the Big 12, why is Arizona vs. K-State a non-conference game?

The game of the Wildcats is less than a week away as the Kansas State and Arizona Wildcats prepare for their Week 3 matchup on Friday, Sept. 13.

Now that Arizona is a part of the Big 12, the two programs share a conference. However, the upcoming game between the two teams will not count toward conference standings and is technically a non-conference game.

So, despite the two teams sharing a conference that they call home, why is the game non-conference and what does it mean for the two (currently) ranked programs?

Why is Arizona vs. Kansas State a non-conference game?

The Wildcats scheduled this game as a part of a home-and-home series between the two teams, which will continue during the 2025 season. The series between Arizona and Kansas State was scheduled when the Wildcats (AZ) were still in the Pac-12 and ahead of the conference realignment.

When it was announced that Arizona would be joining Kansas State in the Big 12, it was too late for both programs to find replacement teams for the home-and-home series, so, the conference opponents will play each other for two years as non-conference opponents.

This is similar to what happened between the Utah Utes and Baylor Bears who played each other in Week 2 as non-conference opponents despite also both being in the Big 12.

What does the result of Arizona vs. Kansas State mean for the Big 12?

While the result of the Arizona versus Kansas State game will not affect the teams' standings in the Big 12, because both Wildcat squads are ranked, the matchup could have significant repercussions on the top 25 standings.

As well as affecting the rankings, how the game unfolds could both negatively or positively affect how the Big 12 is viewed as a whole.

If the two teams flounder against each other, similarly to how Oklahoma State and Arkansas struggled to take down one another, it will reflect poorly on the Big 12's already rocky standing as a Power-Four conference.

However, if the two teams put on a show and look like dominant teams as they face each other, it could give the Big 12 its ever-necessary leg to stand on, especially in comparison to the currently struggling ACC.

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