Georgia Basketball: New Big 12-SEC Challenge Dates and Format Set

The Georgia basketball program will have an opportunity to participate in a much more visible Big 12-SEC Challenge.

More from SEC Sports News

• Georgia Football: 3 Things to Know About the Kentucky Wildcats
• Heisman Trophy candidates to watch in Week 6
• Heisman Trophy Candidates to Watch on Saturday
• Georgia football leads the SEC in thrilling Week 4 games
• Georgia Football: SEC details strict Covid-19 forfeit policy for 2021 season

The Big 12-SEC Challenge is a great showcase for both conferences, and creates some opportunities for teams to increase their tournament resumes.

But starting with the 2015-16 season, the two conferences will set aside an open date later in the season, and the games will be broadcast on national television. Having a single date to feature the Challenge will be a tremendous boost for all teams involved.

“Moving the Big 12/SEC Challenge later in the season will raise the profile of this event and give our coaches, student-athletes and fans the attention that it deserves,” SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said.

The third annual Big 12/SEC Challenge will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016, with ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU combining to televise all ten games.

Per an SEC release, all 10 of the Big 12’s teams and 10 of the SEC’s 14 members will participate in the Challenge. The four SEC teams not participating in the Challenge will be matched up in conference games on Jan. 30 to be televised on the SEC Network. Each conference will host five games. The participants and matchups will be determined at a later date.

This is good news for both conferences, as the event will now take on some of the same prestige seen by the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge.