University of Tennessee Athletics
SEC, Big 12 Extend Women's Hoops Challenge
April 30, 2015 | Women's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern and Big 12 Conferences have announced an extension of their women's basketball challenge that will expand to 10 games in 2016 and 2017.
Included in that slate will be a match-up between Tennessee and Baylor in 2016-17, with the Lady Vols playing host to the Lady Bears at Thompson-Boling Arena at a date to be determined.
Ten teams from the SEC will participate, while every team from the Big 12 will take part in the challenge each season. The format features five home games on campus sites for each conference per year. Teams will not face the same opponent twice.
In 2016, games will be scheduled over the dates of Thursday, December 1 through Sunday, December 4. Exact dates of match-ups and television designation will be released when available.
"We are excited to see the SEC/Big 12 Challenge expand in women's basketball," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. "The match-ups on these four days, each year, will showcase the strength and depth of our women's basketball teams and provide the fans of both conferences with exhilarating games."
The inaugural challenge was held in 2014 in Little Rock, Ark., and featured a top-five match-up with No. 3 Texas squaring off against No. 4 Texas A&M. Oklahoma and Arkansas, who were both receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll, played in the second game. The conferences split the challenge, with the two games decided by a total of nine points.
The 2015 version will be contested in Oklahoma City on Sunday, December 20, 2015, with the opponents reversed. Texas will play Arkansas while Oklahoma faces Texas A&M.
2016 SEC/Big 12 Women's Basketball Challenge Match-ups
Baylor at Tennessee
Mississippi State at Iowa State
Kansas at Alabama
Auburn at Kansas State
Oklahoma at Kentucky
Georgia at Oklahoma State
TCU at Florida
South Carolina at Texas
Texas Tech at Arkansas
Ole Miss at West Virginia
2017 Big 12/SEC Women's Basketball Challenge Match-ups
Kentucky at Baylor
Iowa State at Vanderbilt
Arkansas at Kansas
Kansas State at Missouri
Florida at Oklahoma
Oklahoma State at Mississippi State
Alabama at TCU
Texas at Georgia
LSU at Texas Tech
West Virginia at Texas A&M
