The Big 12 Conference is gearing up to launch a new bowling game in Mexico.
The Big 12 have begun exploring hosting a bowling game in Monterrey, Mexico, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The game would start after the 2026 season and is just the latest example of the league’s push to enter Mexico.
It’s unclear where in Monterrey the Big 12 would host the bowl, or what other league would field a team the conference would play against. Estadio BBVA is the city’s main football stadium and hosts CF Monterrey in the Liga MX. The stadium, which opened in 2015, can accommodate around 53,500 people. The stadium and city will also be a World Cup venue for the 2026 tournament, which is being held in a joint venture with the United States and Canada.
The game would only be the second bowling game held outside of the United States. The Bahamas Bowl is held annually in Nassau. The International Bowl, held in Toronto, and the Bacardi Bowl in Cuba have been disbanded.
The Big 12 are expected to hold a number of games in Mexico in the coming years. The Kansas and Houston men’s and women’s basketball teams will face off in a regular-season game in Mexico City in 2024. Houston — along with UCF, BYU and Cincinnati — will officially join the conference later this summer. According to Thamel, Big 12 teams will also be playing baseball and women’s soccer games against local Mexican teams in the near future.