The Southeastern Conference failed to win a second straight Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday, but more basketball games between the two leagues are on the way.
Not long after Saturday's 10 head-to-head showdowns tipped off, Big 12 and SEC officials announced a six-year extension of an extravaganza that first took place during the 2013-14 season. The Big 12/SEC Challenge has been held the past four years on the weekend between the NFL's conference championship games and its Super Bowl.
"The SEC-Big 12 Challenge has become a date everyone circles on the college basketball calendar," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a release. "Our fans and teams enjoy the competitive experience and high quality college basketball. We are pleased to extend this successful agreement with the Big 12 and ESPN."
Big 12 teams went 6-4 against the SEC on Saturday, with the difference being No. 24 Iowa State's 87-73 win at No. 20 Ole Miss. The other nine contests were won by the home teams, including No. 1 Tennessee's 83-66 whipping of West Virginia and No. 8 Kentucky's 71-63 topping of No. 9 Kansas.
Georgia and Texas A&M were the other winners from the SEC, with Tom Crean's Bulldogs racing past Texas 98-88.
"I knew the SEC/Big 12 Challenge was a big deal," Crean said in a news conference, "but after being at ESPN for a year in the studio, it's not just the day that's such a big deal but the buildup of it. It puts the Big 12 and it puts the SEC in prime focus for really a week.
"To come out and represent this way against that type of team is a huge deal for us."
The SEC won six matchups last year, the only time the SEC has won more games than the Big 12 in the event's six-year history. Saturday's Big 12/SEC Challenge was unique in that three of the SEC's six ranked teams - No. 16 Auburn, No. 22 Mississippi State and No. 25 LSU - were not involved.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.