Big 12 and Pac-10 officials announced Thursday that beginning next year, they will have an annual showcase to rival the prestige of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Kansas University will host Arizona in one of the more marquee matchups in the first Big 12-Pac-10 Challenge, with the Wildcats scheduled to visit Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 25, 2007. The Jayhawks will make a return trip to Tucson, Ariz., in 2008.
Ten games will be played between Nov. 29 and Dec. 2. The two Big 12 teams not scheduled to compete in that window will play outisde of that stretch. That includes KU’s contest with Arizona and a Dec. 22 showdown on neutral territory between Texas Tech and Stanford. Both Stanford and Arizona will play two games in the inaugural challenge. Arizona hosts Texas A&M on Dec. 2. On that same day, Stanford will travel to Colorado.
“This series of games with the Pac-10 will showcase some of the best college basketball in the country,” Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg said. “Our two conferences annually produce highly rated teams and multiple NCAA Tournament teams. This series will provide quality match-ups that will help to build the strength of our teams’ non-conference schedules. We are excited to have the opportunity to do this with the Pac-10 in a way that allows all of our teams to participate.”
The series will continue in 2008, with games slated for December 4-7. The contests scheduled will be return games of the matchups from 2007, but may not be scheduled for the same day of the week. The games in the series in 2009 will be played December 3-6, 2009, while matchups in 2010 will be played December 2-5, 2010.
“We are pleased to make this scheduling arrangement with the Big 12 Conference and its members,” Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen noted. “It will enable both conferences to provide exciting, high-level basketball competition. The games will spotlight college basketball in early December and will be excellent programming for our television partners. I commend the coaches of the two conferences for embracing the competition which will enhance the power ratings of all participants.”
For more on this story, read tomorrow’s Journal-World.
