OU at Alabama, OSU at Arkansas set to play in Big 12/SEC Challenge
Oklahoma will travel to Alabama, and Oklahoma State will visit Arkansas for college basketball’s 2018 Big 12/SEC Challenge, it was announced Wednesday.
For the third consecutive year, the event will be played in the middle of the conference season.
Both games will be played on Jan. 27.
The Sooners won their first three games in the Challenge before losing at home last year to Florida.
Last year was also the first time the Big 12 did not win the event outright, as the Challenge finished in 5-5 tie.
The Big 12 is 25-15 overall in the event.
OU’s nonconference schedule next season includes a home game against Northwestern, a meeting with USC at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, a game at Wichita State and a trip to Portland to participate with a stacked field in a tournament there.
Oklahoma opened the 2013-14 season against Alabama in Dallas, though that game wasn’t a part of the Challenge.
The Cowboys are 37-14 all-time against Arkansas, including wins in each of the last five meetings. The programs also share a connection with the legendary Eddie Sutton, who was a head coach at both programs. Arkansas raised a banner into the rafters at Bud Walton Arena in Sutton’s honor, while OSU named its court for Sutton.
Other games in this year’s challenge include Baylor at Florida, Tennessee at Iowa State, Texas A&M at Kansas, Georgia at Kansas State, TCU at Vanderbilt, Mississippi at Texas, Texas Tech at South Carolina and Kentucky at West Virginia.