In a⁣ surprising⁣ turn of events, BYU ‍has secured ⁤its‍ place in ‍the Big 12 championship game thanks to the Arizona Wildcats’ 38-35 victory ⁣over No. 20 Arizona State on Friday night.

The win guarantees the Cougars ⁣a spot in⁢ the championship game, regardless ​of the outcome of their Saturday contest against UCF. BYU will travel to arlington, Texas, to compete for the league title next Saturday.

Their opponent in the championship game will be a familiar one: Texas⁣ Tech. The Cougars previously faced the Red Raiders on November 8 in Lubbock, suffering a 29-7 defeat. ‌This rematch carries substantially higher stakes,⁤ as the winner will receive an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff.

This marks BYU’s‍ first appearance in a conference championship game since 1998, when thay lost to Air Force 20-13 in ⁤the Western athletic⁣ Conference (WAC) title game. Prior to this season, BYU’s most recent conference championship came in 2007 in the⁣ Mountain West Conference, though that year did⁢ not feature a‍ championship⁣ game.

The Big 12 Championship game between BYU and Texas Tech is scheduled for December 6 at 10:00 ⁢a.m. MST at AT&T Stadium⁤ in Arlington, Texas.