Mississippi State to Face Oklahoma in Big12/SEC Challenge

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics) – A challenging road matchup with Oklahoma, a fellow 2019 NCAA Tournament team, awaits the Mississippi State men’s basketball team when the Bulldogs make their return to the Big 12/SEC Challenge in six months on Saturday, January 25 announced Thursday by both conference offices.

The seventh annual Big 12/SEC Challenge will feature 10 games televised by ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU during the last Saturday of January for the fifth straight season. Game times and television network assignments will be announced at a later date.

The two conferences have split the last 30 meetings of the challenge over the last three seasons with the SEC earning a 6-4 win in 2017-18 and a 5-5 draw in 2016-17. The Bulldogs are making only their second appearance and first since the inaugural event during the 2013-14 season.

Mississippi State has won all three previous meetings versus the Sooners decided by a combined 16 points which includes a home-and-home series during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons along with 54-45 victory over then No. 5 Oklahoma at the Sugar Bowl Classic on Dec. 28, 2002. Mario Austin posted game-highs with 18 points and eight rebounds to pace the Bulldogs.

The Sooners have secured NCAA Tournament bids during six of the last seven seasons under Lon Kruger, a 2019 John Wooden Award Legends of Coaching honoree. Oklahoma defeated Ole Miss before falling to eventual national champion Virginia in the NCAA Round of 32 last season. The Sooners return two of their top three scorers in Brady Manek (12.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG) and Kristian Doolittle (11.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG).

Mississippi State is offering a pair of new fan-focused season ticket options for the 2019-20 season which includes the addition of general admission seating to men’s basketball. A traditional general admission season ticket for seats in designated areas of the 200 level are available for only $155, while reserved seat season tickets are available for $275.

The second offering is a first-of-its-kind mobile access season ticket, the mobile access pass. This new ticketing option will provide exclusive access to already-sold lower level seats during non-conference games inside Humphrey Coliseum, and a 200 level general admission ticket for all conference games. During non-conference play, fans with the mobile access pass will be digitally delivered a general admission ticket for a designated lower level section each game and will have access to sit in any open seat within that designated section. The non-conference option is available for $65 whereas the entire season pass is available for $180. Learn more about this new offering at www.HailState.com/accesspass.

Mississippi State posted a 23-11 record last season and secured the program’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bulldogs have dialed up 48 victories over the last two seasons which is tied for second-most in program history over a two-year span and fourth among SEC schools.

Mississippi State’s roster features a solid nucleus of five returning players who combined for 83 starts and close to 50 percent of the team’s points in Abdul Ado, Tyson Carter, Reggie Perry, Nick Weatherspoon and Robert Woodard II.

The quintet is joined by veteran postmen KeyShawn Feazell and E.J. Datcher along with a talented freshmen class which features Devin Butts, Elias King, Iverson Molinar and Quinten Post. After redshirting the 2018-19 season, Prince Oduro and D.J. Stewart also are ready to make an impact during their first season for the Maroon and White.

2020 Big 12/SEC Challenge – Saturday, January 25, 2020

Hosted by Big 12

Mississippi State at Oklahoma

Kentucky at Texas Tech

LSU at Texas

Missouri at West Virginia

Tennessee at Kansas

Hosted by SEC

Baylor at Florida

Oklahoma State at Texas A&M

Iowa State at Auburn

Kansas State at Alabama

TCU at Arkansas

Mississippi State –Big 12/SEC Challenge History

Date, Matchup, Location

12/05/2013, TCU 71, Mississippi State 61, Humphrey Coliseum