Inaugural matches for new BIG 12/ SEC Basketball challenge released

Beginning this year the SEC and the Big 12 will compete in a newly formed Big 12/ SEC Challenge. This won't be that different from the old MWC/ MVC Challenge or the current and still thriving ACC/ Big Ten Challenge except in one facet- only 10 of the 14 SEC teams will compete in the challenge each year. Many sports fans thought this would be the perfect time for Texas and texas A&M to be forced to play each other, but the inaugural plans have a different series in mind- Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M. The only difference is that every game of the SEC/ Big 12 Challenge will air on one of the ESPN Networks. Here's the press release outlining the details.

Matchups for Inaugural BIG 12/SEC Challenge

New Men’s Basketball Event with 10 Games between Big 12 Conference and Southeastern Conference

Matchups for the inaugural Big 12/SEC Challenge – an early-season men’s basketball event matching 10 teams from two premier conferences against each other – have been determined. ESPN will provide exclusive coverage of all 10 games across its networks.

The Challenge includes five teams ranked in an early ESPN.com preseason top 25: No. 1 Kentucky, No. 5 Kansas, No. 7 Florida, No. 11 Oklahoma State and No. 19 Baylor. Two games will pit ranked teams against each other: No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 19 Baylor and No. 5 Kansas at No. 7 Florida.

In the first year of the new agreement between ESPN and the conferences, eight of the 10 games will be played at home sites (each conference will host four home games) with two of the matchups at a neutral site. Ten of the 14 SEC teams (Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee will not play in the first year) will participate each year against all 10 of the Big 12 members. The event’s title will alternate each year (it will be the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in 2014). While the inaugural Challenge takes place in November and December, ESPN and the conferences will work together to schedule matchups across consecutive days in future years.

2013 Big 12/SEC Challenge schedule (times and networks are to be determined):

Date	Game
Thu, Nov 14	Texas Tech at Alabama
Mon, Dec 2	Vanderbilt at Texas
	Auburn at Iowa State
Thu, Dec 5	Ole Miss at Kansas State
	West Virginia at Missouri
	TCU at Mississippi State
Fri, Dec 6	South Carolina at No. 11 Oklahoma State
	No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 19 Baylor (Arlington)
Tue, Dec 10	No. 5 Kansas at No. 7 Florida
Sat, Dec 21	Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M (Houston)

• Tourney Teams: Eight of the 20 teams played in the 2012 NCAA Tournament: Florida, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss
• Uncommon Opponent: Several of the games will feature teams that have not played each other very often, including: South Carolina and Oklahoma State in their second matchup (South Carolina won the first game); Auburn and Iowa State and TCU and Mississippi State playing for the third time (both series are tied 1-1); and West Virginia and Missouri meeting in the regular-season for the first time (they played in two NCAA Tournament games with each scoring a victory).
• Going for Undefeated: Ole Miss has defeated Kansas State in its three previous meetings, including the most recent in 2009.
• New Streaks: Kentucky had won its seven previous games against Baylor, including an 82-70 victory in the Elite Eight of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, before losing to the Bears in a regular-season game last season.
• Game 5: Kansas and Florida will play for the fifth time since 1994 and first since the 2006 Las Vegas Invitational contest. Kansas holds a 3-1 series lead.
• 80s Flashback: Vanderbilt and Texas will play for the first time since 1989 and seventh overall.
• Rematch: Texas Tech will visit Alabama after hosting the Crimson Tide in a game last season, a 66-62 Red Raiders loss. Alabama holds a 6-1 series lead.
• Nice to See You Again: Former conference partners Oklahoma and Texas A&M will meet for the 40th time.

The SEC and Big 12 have combined for seven Final Four appearances and four national titles in the last eight NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournaments: Kentucky (2012), Kansas (2008) and Florida (2007 and 2006).

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