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Both challenges enter their final year this upcoming season. I believe it is very important to keep both. Any news on this front?

shizzle898 wrote:Both challenges enter their final year this upcoming season. I believe it is very important to keep both. Any news on this front?

I'd guess maybe we'd hear of an extension when the schedules are released for them later this spring.

I really do hope both get extended. They're good for both leagues in both series'!

Gavitt games has carved out a nice niche of being that early season conference challenge. B10 teams typically have old rosters, so they're dangerous to play so early, but I guess they can say the same about BE teams as well.

B12 challenge feels more like a scheduling agreement than a challenge. It's just too far spread out to maintain any kind of hype over the course of 2-3 weeks.

I'd like to see the challenge with B12 moved to early season, and try to work with B10 to move Gavitt games to Jan/Feb. Maybe both sides wouldn't mind a small break from the monotony of BE & B10 regular season grind.

I have a bad hunch that these won't be renewed. No inside info, but it feels like the FBS leagues are circling the wagons and unless FOX requires continuation of the challenges, they might be done.

There are four big conference challenges currently arranged: the Gavitt Tip-Off Games, the Big East/Big 12 Battle, the ACC-B1G Challenge and the Big 12/SEC Challenge. I don't think the ACC-B1G Challenge is going anywhere - that's one of ESPN's babies for exclusive content. I could see the Big 12/SEC Challenge concluding, since UT and OU are moving over to the SEC, and both schools will likely want to schedule schools like Texas Tech and Oklahoma State annually for non-conference. One of the beautiful things about the Gavitt Games is that each of the games are on the B1G Network or FS1, which actually is a benefit to the Big Ten, since they have very much enjoyed splitting their content over Fox (B1G Network/FS1) and ESPN. If the Gavitt Games conclude, the B1G will still desire a Fox-related scheduling alliance. Perhaps they pursue a challenge with the PAC, who currently doesn't have a scheduling challenge (and which has Arizona and UCLA resistant to any challenge, thus the reason why they haven't gotten into one; maybe they agree to "hide" Arizona, UCLA and Michigan State from the challenge).

If the Big Ten ends the challenge, I would guess they pursue one with the PAC - but, as noted - if Arizona and UCLA continue to refuse to be part of a challenge, then a B1G/PAC Challenge isn't as valuable as a B1G/BE Challenge. And if the Big 12 wants to end the challenge, which is possible, since they will have 12 teams moving forward and won't need an additional game to compromised not having a R/R, they could also look to the PAC or SEC or even B1G for another challenge.

At the end of the day, with six major basketball conferences, there will always be a dance partner available to have a scheduling alliance with. The SEC has Mike Tranghese as a very influential figure and would probably love an SEC/BE challenge. I doubt anyone of power (except Boeheim) in the ACC would seek a Big East Challenge (especially those at ESPN). I'd love both scheduling agreements to continue, but understand that these things do conclude and go on breaks every now and then. What made the Gavitt Games easy to schedule was that both leagues could very well just slide in annual rivalry games into the challenge and be done with it (Creighton/Nebraska, Butler/Purdue, Marquette/Wisconsin, Seton Hall/Rutgers, Georgetown/Maryland, etc.).

I've mentioned it before, but I would love to see a Classic Big East Challenge at MSG where you could get select BE teams compete against old Big East teams (Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, West Virginia). You could do a two-game event at MSG that would bring back nostalgia and history annually. You could do a Georgetown/Syracuse, a UConn/Pittsburgh, a Marquette/Louisville or Villanova/Notre Dame. There are endless possibilities. I'm sure many of the old schools would love the one-game exposure in NYC too. Heck, you could do a two night event with two games each, and make it a four-game series annually. Just a thought.

Mac confirmed that Creighton isn’t in the Gavitt Games this year.

Good news as the Big East/Big 12 battle has been extended 2 years through 2024-25. Increased from 10 games to 11 games per year. Big 12 gets 6 home games in 23-24 and Big East gets 6 home games in 24-25. With all the realignment uncertainty, not shocking it's only a 2-year extension.

https://www.bigeast.com/news/2022/8/1/mens-basketball-big-east-big-12-battle-extended-two-years.aspx

Big 12 remains a really solid basketball league. Definitely good news.

Omaha1 wrote:Big 12 remains a really solid basketball league. Definitely good news.

It definitely is. Really good odds that your favorite team will draw a top 50 opponent. BYU and Houston are rock solid additions, but UC has a lot of work to do and somebody will draw UCF, which will likely struggle to get out of the basement in the foreseeable future.