Texas' 2021-22 men's basketball conference schedule announced
The Big 12 released the 2021-22 men’s basketball conference schedule on Wednesday, finalizing the Texas Longhorns’ matchups under first-year head coach Chris Beard. The Longhorns begin their 18-game Big 12 slate on January 1 against West Virginia.
Beard will face his former team in Texas Tech first in Lubbock on February 1 then in Austin at the Frank Erwin Center on February 19.
Texas will play host to ESPN’s Big Monday when Kansas travels to Texas on February 7 and when defending national champion Baylor travels south on I-35 on February 28.
Television networks and tipoff times will be announced at a later date.
Texas begins the regular season on November 9 against Houston Baptist before traveling to Spokane, Wash. to face national finalist Gonzaga. The Longhorns host the Abe Lemons Classic following their trip to the Pacific Northwest, welcoming Northern Colorado, San Jose State, and California Baptist for the multi-team event.
Sam Houston State and UT-Rio Grande Valley travel to Austin as November turns to December. The game with the Bearcats will be held on campus in Gregory Gymnasium. Beard’s team then travels to Newark, N.J. to face Seton Hall on December 9 as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle. Texas then hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff on December 14 before facing Stanford in Las Vegas on December 19.
Home games versus Rice and Incarnate Word round out 2021 ahead of Texas’ conference opener with West Virginia. The remaining non-conference game on the schedule in 2022 is the Big 12-SEC Challenge game with Tennessee on January 29, which will mark former Texas head coach Rick Barnes first trip back to the Erwin Center since his time in Austin ended after the 2015 season.
Beard is entering his first season as head coach of the Longhorns. Texas won the Big 12 Tournament last year before being eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament under previous head coach Shaka Smart.
Texas’ first action of 2021-22 is an exhibition game against Texas Lutheran scheduled for November 1.
