WWE & Big 12 Conference To Bring Friday Night SmackDown To Big 12 Markets During 2025 College Football Season

Andrew ThompsonJuly 9, 2025, 8:27 am

The renewal of the partnership.

The NCAA’s Big 12 Conference and WWE are partnering back up to bring Friday Night SmackDown to Big 12 markets during the 2025 college football season.

TKO Group Holdings unveiled the expansion of the partnership, and here is the full press release:

WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), and the Big 12 Conference today announced an expansion to their multi-faceted partnership that will see Friday Night SmackDown broadcast from Big 12 markets on the eve of four conference football games throughout the 2025 season.

The first SmackDown will be held on Friday, August 22 at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, a day before the 30^th year of Big 12 Football kicks off with a Week 0 matchup between the Iowa State Cyclones and Kansas State Wildcats in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on Saturday, August 23 at Aviva Stadium.

Full dates include:

Friday, August 22 – SmackDown at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland (Iowa State vs. Kansas State on Saturday, August 23)

Friday, October 3 – SmackDown at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio (Iowa State at Cincinnati on Saturday, October 4)

Friday, October 24 – SmackDown at Mullet Arena in Tempe, Arizona (Houston at Arizona State on Saturday, October 25)

Friday, October 31 – SmackDown at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah (Cincinnati at Utah on Saturday, November 1)

In 2023, WWE and the Big 12 paired up for the Big 12 Football Championship game. The collaboration saw a custom WWE Title belt be presented to the game’s Most Outstanding Player, and WWE talents being involved with events related to the game.