WVU Release Big 12/SEC Challenge pairings released

[Keenan Cummings]

2022 Big 12/SEC Challenge Pairings Unveiled​

Pairings have been announced for the 2022 Big 12/SEC Men’s Basketball Challenge to be played on Saturday, January 29.

The ninth annual event will consist of 10 games as every Big 12 member faces 10 programs from the Southeastern Conference. This will mark the seventh consecutive year for all games to be played in one day. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise the contests.

Big 12 teams are 44-35 (.557) in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.The Big 12 has a yearly Challenge record of 4-2-2 with wins in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019. One game was canceled in 2021 due to COVID. Ties occurred in 2017 and 2020. In case of a tie, the trophy stays with the conference that won it the previous season.



Television designations and game times will be announced when available.



2022 Big 12/SEC Challenge – Saturday, January 29
Baylor at Alabama
Missouri at Iowa State
Kentucky at Kansas
Kansas State at Ole Miss
Oklahoma at Auburn
Oklahoma State at Florida
LSU at TCU
Tennessee at Texas
Mississippi State at Texas Tech
West Virginia at Arkansas

 

[MichiganHerd]

Rough draw. Arkansas is pretty stacked this coming year, and tough out at their place under normal circumstances.

 

[LHANDSDC]

Nice matchups.

 

[WVUALLEN]

Arkansas has always been a good team with great coaches and players. A team very similar in many ways to WVU.

Musselman has what on paper appears to be his deepest, most talented roster, and it will be interesting to see how things play out on that front.

They have no true go to guy but Mason turned out to be it last year.

Musselman is a great coach.

 

[TownesVanZandt_rivals]

Houston had Elvin Hayes and played UCLA in the Game of the Century
So it was well known they were a basketball school when they entered the SWC. Arkansas put a lot of money behind their program. Hired Eddie Sutton. For a 20-25 year run they were a Top 10 program. Even when Sutton left for Kentucky and they hired Nolan Richardson


People there feel Eric Mussleman is returning them back to the point
Hard to argue against that. Already has an Elite 8 appearance.

Similar to WVU they take basketball serious. Bud Walton should be 100% capacity

 

[WVUALLEN]

Lot of hillbilly's will be at one that one. Both sides. Both states are also similar in many other ways. Except big donors. The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville has received a $300 million commitment from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation in Bentonville, Arkansas.

 

[MichiganHerd]

Lot of hillbilly's will be at one that one. Both sides. Both states are also similar in many other ways. Except big donors. The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville has received a $300 million commitment from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation in Bentonville, Arkansas.

I was down that way this past weekend. Area is fabulous, but you're right. Arkansas might even be more redneck than WV, if you can imagine that. Walmart is building this massive, new company headquarters close by their previous building. Old HQs looked like an ancient grouping of old high schools. New one is modern and appears to be made to attract the young people that refuse to work. I never realized how close Fayetteville was to Bentonville, but to be honest, never really cared, and still don't, but there's definitely a bunch of money in that area, thanks to Sam. Rednecks with money is a dangerous combination.

 

[TownesVanZandt_rivals]

Arkansas like Louisiana is split between Texas and Mississippi. You have the ArkLaTex and then the ArkLaMiss. ArkLaMiss is what most know as the Delta. The Heart of the Deep South.
The rest of the state is up in the hills. That is where some of the money is. Not just Wal Mart but Tyson Chicken as well

 

[WVUALLEN]

I was down that way this past weekend. Area is fabulous, but you're right. Arkansas might even be more redneck than WV, if you can imagine that. Walmart is building this massive, new company headquarters close by their previous building. Old HQs looked like an ancient grouping of old high schools. New one is modern and appears to be made to attract the young people that refuse to work. I never realized how close Fayetteville was to Bentonville, but to be honest, never really cared, and still don't, but there's definitely a bunch of money in that area, thanks to Sam. Rednecks with money is a dangerous combination.

Just look at the Clinton's and that explains a lot.

 

[TownesVanZandt_rivals]

Still a very poor State for the most part.
A few huge corporations won't change that.

When I was a kid we used to go to Hot Springs. After the illegal gambling halls were ran out but Hot Springs was still considered a huge resort town.
Pretty nice place.
Some of Bill Clinton's family were from there

 

[TownesVanZandt_rivals]

The difference comes with agriculture. Like Tennessee. 50% of the state is agriculture based. Most of WV isn't. That is why it became a state and isn't Virginia anymore

Arkansas/Tennessee share Memphis. Memphis is pretty much in Mississippi