SEC–Big East Challenge

The SEC–Big East Challenge was an in-season NCAA college basketball series, matching up teams from the Southeastern Conference and the former Big East Conference. The event, which was held each season from 2007 to 2012, has taken place in early December, before the start of conference play.

The original six-year contract for the series expired in 2013 and was not renewed. This was likely an effect of the 2010–13 Big East Conference realignment, in which the full members of the former Big East split up into football-sponsoring (The American) and non-football (new Big East) conferences.[1] The SEC proceeded to establish a new series with the Big 12 Conference called the Big 12/SEC Challenge.[2]

Format

Initially, each annual series included four games featuring four teams from each conference. The games were held as two double-headers in two different, typically off-campus, sites. Though most of the sites are not home arenas for the teams featured in the event, many have been in the same cities as one of the participants. Madison Square Garden in New York City hosted a double-header in 2009 that featured the St. John's Red Storm, who use the Garden as their home arena for some games. In 2010, two games were held at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, which served as the Louisville Cardinals' home arena until the KFC Yum! Center opened for the 2010–11 season. Other venues were occasional home venues for invitational participants. Villanova occasionally plays at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where they participated in the first year of the Invitational in 2007 (when the venue was known as Wachovia Center). Pittsburgh occasionally hosts games in the Consol Energy Center since it opened in 2010, where they played in the invitational in December of that year.

Starting with the 2011-12 season, the format was changed to allow every SEC team to participate along with an equal number of Big East teams. This format featured 12 games over three days beginning on the Thursday after Thanksgiving of each year. The locations of the games were also changed; they would be played at home campus sites with each conference hosting six games a year.

For the 2012 challenge, the SEC's new members Texas A&M and Missouri did not participate, while the departure of West Virginia from the Big East meant that only three Big East teams would be excluded instead of four.

Team records

In the inaugural series in 2007, the Big East won three games to the SEC's one. The two conferences tied, with each team winning two games, in 2008 and 2009. In the 2010 series, the SEC won for the first time, three games to one. In the 2011 series, the first year with 12 games, the Big East won eight games to four.

Results

2007

Date SEC Team Big East Team Location Television Attendance Winner Conference
Leader
December 5 Alabama #4 Georgetown BJCC Arena (Birmingham, Alabama) ESPN Georgetown, 70–60[3] Big East (1–0)
Auburn West Virginia ESPN2 10,481 West Virginia, 88–59[4] Big East (2–0)
December 6 South Carolina Providence Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) ESPN2 South Carolina, 68–67[5] Big East (2–1)
LSU #21 Villanova ESPN Villanova, 68–67[6] Big East (3–1)

2008

Date SEC Team Big East Team Location Television Attendance Winner Conference
Leader
December 16 Vanderbilt South Florida Sommet Center (Nashville, Tennessee) ESPN2 Vanderbilt, 71–52[7] SEC (1–0)
#19 Tennessee #23 Marquette ESPN Tennessee, 80–68[8] SEC (2–0)
December 18 Mississippi State Cincinnati U.S. Bank Arena (Cincinnati, Ohio) ESPN2 Cincinnati, 75–63[9] SEC (2–1)
Ole Miss #9 Louisville ESPN 9,522 Louisville, 77–68[10] Tied (2–2)

2009

Date SEC Team Big East Team Location Television Attendance Winner Conference
Leader
December 9 Georgia St. John's Madison Square Garden (New York, New York) ESPN2 St. John's, 66–56[11] Big East (1–0)
#4 Kentucky #12 Connecticut ESPN 15,874 Kentucky, 64–61[12] Tied (1–1)
December 10 Mississippi State DePaul St. Pete Times Forum (Tampa, Florida) ESPN2 Mississippi State, 76–45[13] SEC (2–1)
#11 Florida #6 Syracuse ESPN 9,353 Syracuse, 85–73[14] Tied (2–2)

2010

Date SEC Team Big East Team Location Television Attendance Winner Conference
Leader
December 8 Arkansas Seton Hall Freedom Hall (Louisville, Kentucky) ESPN2 Arkansas, 71–62[15] SEC (1–0)
#16 Kentucky #23 Notre Dame ESPN Kentucky, 72–58[16] SEC (2–0)
December 11 Auburn Rutgers CONSOL Energy Center, (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) ESPN2 Rutgers, 63–54[17] SEC (2–1)
#13 Tennessee #3 Pittsburgh ESPN 15,166 Tennessee, 83–76 [18] SEC (3–1)

2011

Date Time Big East Team SEC Team Location Television Attendance Winner Challenge
Leader
Thurs., Dec. 1 7:00 PM Providence South Carolina Colonial Life Arena • Columbia, SC ESPNU
7,476
Providence, 76–67[19]
Big East (1–0)
7:30 PM St. John's #1 Kentucky Rupp Arena • Lexington, KY ESPN2
24,119
Kentucky, 81–59[20]
Tie (1–1)
9:00 PM DePaul Ole Miss Allstate Arena • Rosemont, IL ESPNU
7,129
Ole Miss, 70–68[21]
SEC (2–1)
9:30 PM Georgetown #12 Alabama Coleman Coliseum • Tuscaloosa, AL ESPN2
15,383
Georgetown, 57–55[22]
Tie (2–2)
Fri., Dec. 2 7:00 PM #3 Syracuse #9 Florida Carrier Dome • Syracuse, NY ESPN
24,459
Syracuse, 72–68[23]
Big East (3–2)
7:00 PM Cincinnati Georgia Stegeman Coliseum • Athens, GA ESPNU
6,796
Cincinnati, 57–51[24]
Big East (4–2)
9:00 PM #6 Louisville #19 Vanderbilt KFC Yum! Center • Louisville, KY ESPN
22,728
Louisville, 62-60 OT[25]
Big East (5-2)
9:00 PMSeton Hall Auburn Prudential Center • Newark, NJ ESPNU
6,591
Seton Hall, 81–59[26]
Big East (6–2)
Sat., Dec. 3 3:15 PM #10 Connecticut Arkansas XL Center • Hartford, CT ESPN
14,333
Connecticut, 75–62[27]
Big East (7–2)
5:15 PM #17 Pittsburgh Tennessee Thompson-Boling Arena • Knoxville, TN ESPN
17,249
Pittsburgh, 61–56[28]
Big East (8–2)
7:00 PM Rutgers LSU Louis Brown Athletic Center • Piscataway, NJ ESPNU
5,534
LSU, 55–50[29]
Big East (8–3)
9:00 PM West Virginia #21 Mississippi State Humphrey Coliseum • Starkville, MS ESPNU
7,529
Mississippi State, 75–62 [30]
Big East (8–4)
First year that the invitational featured 12 games – All times Eastern
Notre Dame, Marquette, Villanova and South Florida did not participate for the Big East.

2012

Date Time Big East Team SEC Team Location Television Attendance Winner Challenge
Leader
Thurs, Nov. 29 7:00 pm Notre Dame #8 Kentucky Edmund P. Joyce Center • South Bend, IN ESPN2
9,149
Notre Dame, 64-50
Big East (1-0)
7:30 pm St. John's South Carolina Carnesecca Arena • Queens, NY ESPNU
4,902
St. John's, 89-65
Big East (2-0)
9:00 pm Marquette #7 Florida O'Connell Center • Gainesville, FL ESPN2
10,245
Florida, 82-49
Big East (2-1)
9:30 pmSeton Hall LSU Pete Maravich Assembly Center • Baton Rouge, LA ESPNU
7,295
LSU, 72-67
Tied (2-2)
Fri, Nov. 30 6:30 pm #20 Georgetown Tennessee Verizon Center • Washington, D.C. ESPN
13,656
Georgetown, 37-36
Big East (3-2)
7:00 pmSouth Florida Georgia USF Sun Dome • Tampa, FL ESPNU
5,167
South Florida, 64-53
Big East (4-2)
8:30 pm #6 Syracuse Arkansas Bud Walton Arena • Fayetteville, AR ESPN
19,259
Syracuse, 91-82
Big East (5-2)
9:00 pm DePaul Auburn Auburn Arena • Auburn, AL ESPNU
5,827
DePaul, 80-76
Big East (6-2)
Sat, Dec. 1 12:00 pm Providence Mississippi State Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI ESPNU
6,156
Providence, 73-63
Big East (7-2)
2:00 pm Rutgers Ole Miss Tad Smith Coliseum • University, MS ESPNU
4,277
Ole Miss, 80-67
Big East (7-3)
3:00 pm #17 Cincinnati Alabama Fifth Third Arena • Cincinnati, OH ESPN2
10,155
Cincinnati,58-56
Big East (8-3)
5:00 pm Villanova Vanderbilt Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, TN ESPN2
9,365
Villanova, 62-52
Big East (9-3)
All times Eastern
Rankings from November 26 AP Poll.
#5 Louisville, Connecticut and Pittsburgh did not participate for the Big East, while Texas A&M and #16 Missouri did not participate for the SEC.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2013/01/28/sec-big-east-challenge-ending-commissioner-says/1870243/
  2. ↑ http://mrsec.com/2013/05/sec-big-xii-to-officially-tip-off-hoops-challenge-in-november/
  3. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=273390333
  4. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=273390002
  5. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap/_/id/273402507/south-carolina-gamecocks-vs-providence-friars
  6. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap/_/id/273400222/lsu-tigers-vs-villanova-wildcats
  7. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap/_/id/283510238/south-florida-bulls-vs-vanderbilt-commodores
  8. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap/_/id/283512633/marquette-golden-eagles-vs-tennessee-volunteers
  9. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap/_/id/283532132/mississippi-state-bulldogs-vs-cincinnati-bearcats
  10. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap/_/id/283530097/boxscore?gameId=283530097
  11. ↑ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=293432599
  12. ↑ http://espn.go.com/ncb/preview?gameId=293430041
  13. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=293440344
  14. ↑ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=293440057&source=ESPNUHeadlines
  15. ↑ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303420008
  16. ↑ http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303420096
  17. ↑ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303450164&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
  18. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303450221
  19. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=313352579
  20. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=313350096
  21. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313350305
  22. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313350333
  23. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313360183
  24. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313360061
  25. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313360097
  26. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313362550
  27. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313370041
  28. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313372633
  29. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313370164
  30. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313370344

External links

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