WWE and the Big 12 Conference are teaming up once again, announcing an expanded partnership that will see Friday Night SmackDown hit four Big 12 markets in 2025, each scheduled on the eve of marquee college football games throughout the season.
The collaboration, part of WWE’s ongoing strategy to align live entertainment with major sports moments, kicks off with an international stop: SmackDown will air live from Dublin’s 3Arena on Friday, August 22. The event precedes the season-opening Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Iowa State and Kansas State at Aviva Stadium—a game marking the 30th year of Big 12 football.
Three more SmackDown events are set to follow in the United States:
- Friday, October 3 at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, ahead of Iowa State’s matchup with Cincinnati on October 4.
- Friday, October 24 at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona, before Houston faces off with Arizona State on October 25.
- Friday, October 31 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, leading into Cincinnati’s clash with Utah on November 1.
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This expanded slate builds on previous efforts by WWE and the Big 12 to combine sports and entertainment in key college markets, offering fans a full weekend experience.
Both WWE and the Big 12 Conference fall under the broader umbrella of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), which continues to explore synergies between its combat sports and entertainment properties.
