Alabama Basketball’s Opponent for the 2021 SEC/Big 12 Challenge Revealed
The Alabama men’s basketball program will take on Oklahoma in the eighth annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge, the Southeastern Conference announced on Wednesday. The Crimson Tide and Sooners will square off in Norman, Okla., on Jan. 30, 2021, with television and tip times announced at a later time.
This will mark Alabama’s fifth appearance in the annual event, owning a 3-1 record including a 77-74 victory over Kansas State in last year’s Challenge. The Tide’s only loss in the four contests came in 2018 when it fell at Baylor, 73-68. Alabama was victorious in home games against Texas Tech, 74-64, on Nov. 13, 2013, in the first year of the event and then-No. 12 Oklahoma, 80-73, on Jan. 27, 2018. UA did not participate in the challenge for three consecutive seasons (2015-17).
This year will mark the ninth meeting between the two teams, with the Sooners owning a 5-3 edge in the all-time series. However, the Crimson Tide has won two of the last three games against Oklahoma including the contest played in the 2018 Challenge.
All 10 of the Big 12’s teams and 10 of the SEC’s 14 member institutions will participate in this year’s showdown. Each of the 10 SEC teams that participated in the 2020 Challenge will be a part of the 2021 event.
In 2020, the two conferences shared the Challenge title with both leagues earning five wins. Over the last four years of the Challenge, both conferences have won 20 games.
This will be the sixth year that a bye in the league schedule for participating teams was created to accommodate the single-day format. The first two years of the challenge were played over several days in November and December, but the last five events have been consolidated to one single day in January. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise the contests.
Start times and network designations will be announced at a later date.
Alabama at Oklahoma
Florida at West Virginia
Texas at Kentucky
Texas Tech at LSU
Kansas at Tennessee
Auburn at Baylor
Iowa State at Mississippi State
TCU at Missouri
Arkansas at Oklahoma State
Texas A&M at Kansas State
