Here We Go Again: Kansas to Face Kentucky in 2017 SEC/Big 12 Challenge

LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the fourth-consecutive season, and sixth time in the last seven campaigns, the top-two winningest programs in men’s college basketball will face each other as Kansas will play at Kentucky on Jan. 28, 2017, in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge the two conferences announced Tuesday.

Rupp Arena in Lexington will serve as the venue for blueblood matchup as Kansas has 2,186 all-time victories which is second in NCAA Division I to Kentucky’s 2,205.

The upcoming SEC/Big 12 Challenge will mark the eighth meeting between the two schools in the Kansas head coach Bill Self era at KU. The Jayhawks hold a 4-3 in that span and Kentucky leads the overall series with Kansas, 22-7. Last season, with ESPN College Gameday originating from Lawrence, No. 4 Kansas defeated No. 20 Kentucky, 90-84 in overtime, at Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 30 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

This is the fourth year of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge and the Big 12 is 20-10 (.667) in the series, having won the challenge in each of its first three seasons. The Big 12 has posted a 48-30 (.615) record in the last two conference challenge series it has played (vs. Pac-10, SEC) dating back to 2007.

The Challenge has six teams ranked in the super-early ESPN.com top 25, including four Big 12 teams – No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 KANSAS, No. 15 West Virginia, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 19 Texas A&M and No. 22 Iowa State. Two games will pit ranked squads against each other – Kansas at Kentucky and Texas A&M at West Virginia.

2017 SEC/Big 12 Challenge – Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 (TV & times TBA)
Baylor at Mississippi
Iowa State at Vanderbilt
KANSAS at Kentucky
Kansas State at Tennessee
Florida at Oklahoma
Arkansas at Oklahoma State
Auburn at TCU
Texas at Georgia
LSU at Texas Tech
Texas A&M at West Virginia

KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.