The Southeastern and Big 12 conferences have announced the 2016 schedule for their Women’s Basketball Challenge, which will feature 10 squads from the SEC against every team from the Big 12.
Ole Miss will take on West Virginia in the Challenge on Dec. 4 in Morgantown, WV. This will be the fourth meeting between the teams with Ole Miss leading the series, 2-1, although the Mountaineers won the last meeting in the series in 2013-14 at the Rainbow Wahine Classic.
This season marks the first in which 10 games will be played. The format consists of five home games on campus sites for each conference. Two teams from each league participated in the past two years with the conferences splitting the games each season for an overall 2-2 series record.
In 2016, games will be scheduled over the dates of Thursday–Sunday, December 1-4. Times and television designation will be released when available. Half of the contests feature at least one team that was ranked in the final 2015-16 USA Today coaches’ poll while three will highlight top-25 matchups.
“The Southeastern Conference looks forward to the expansion of an enhanced competitive event with our Big 12 friends,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “The SEC/Big 12 Challenge in women’s basketball will showcase the strength and depth of our women’s basketball teams and provide fans from both conferences with exciting games.”
“We look forward to all 10 of our women’s basketball teams competing in the 2016 SEC/Big 12 Challenge,” said Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “These marquee non-conference matchups should provide four-consecutive days of quality competition and excitement for fans across the country.”
The inaugural challenge was held in 2014 in Little Rock, Ark., and featured a top-5 showdown with No. 3 Texas squaring off against No. 4 Texas A&M. Oklahoma and Arkansas, who were both receiving votes, played in the second game. The conferences split the Challenge with the two games decided by a total of nine points.
The 2015 version was contested in Oklahoma City with the opponents reversed as No. 5 Texas played Arkansas while No. 17 Oklahoma competed against No. 18 Texas A&M. Each league again claimed a win.
2016 SEC/Big 12 Women’s Basketball Challenge Schedule
Thursday, December 1
Oklahoma at Kentucky
South Carolina at Texas
Friday, December 2
Auburn at Kansas State
Saturday, December 3
Texas Tech at Arkansas
Georgia at Oklahoma State
Mississippi State at Iowa State
Sunday, December 4
Kansas at Alabama
TCU at LSU
Baylor at Tennessee
Ole Miss at West Virginia
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
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