Carolina Will Host Texas Tech In 2018 Big 12/SEC Challenge

May 25, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Matchups have been unveiled for the 2018 Big 12/SEC Challenge and it was announced that South Carolina will host Texas Tech on Jan. 27 at Colonial Life Arena. The meeting will mark the fourth all-time between the two schools, and the first since the 1976-77 campaign. Frank Martin owns an all-time record of 5-1 versus Texas Tech during his time as a head coach.

South Carolina comes off a record-breaking 2016-17 season in which the Gamecocks advanced to their first Final Four, compiling a school-record 26 wins along the way. Texas Tech finished last season, the first under head coach Chris Beard, with an 18-14 record.

January’s upcoming meeting marks the fourth between the Gamecocks and Red Raiders, and the second in Columbia. The teams first met on March 10, 1973, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Wichita, Kan., with the Gamecocks posting a 78-70 victory to advance. Carolina hosted Tech the following season, posting an 81-65 victory in early January, before the Red Raiders posted an 83-75 win in Lubbock in early December 1976.

This will be the third year that a bye in the league schedule for participating teams was created to accommodate the single‐day format. The four SEC teams not participating will play each other in conference games the same day. The first two years of the Challenge were played over several days in November and December, but the 2018 event will be consolidated to one single day in January.

Four of the 10 games will be televised on ESPN, four on ESPN2 and two games will air on ESPNU. All 10 games will also be available on the ESPN app. ESPN’s College GameDay Covered by State Farm – the Saturday roadshow that discusses the top storylines of the college basketball season – will originate from one of the Challenge games.

Start times and network designations will be announced at a later date.

2018 Big 12/SEC Challenge (January 27, 2018):
Oklahoma at Alabama
Georgia at Kansas State
Baylor at Florida
Texas Tech at South Carolina
TCU at Vanderbilt
Oklahoma State at Arkansas
Kentucky at West Virginia
Ole Miss at Texas
Tennessee at Iowa State
Texas A&M at Kansas