Oklahoma State will host Arkansas in next year's Big 12/SEC Challenge

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 40s40 seconds ago

Oklahoma State will host Arkansas in next year's Big 12/SEC Challenge, sources told @CBSSports.

[ricepig]

https://twitter.com/SportsTalkwBo/status/734865125652500480

[Razorbackers]

Solid matchup. The Cowboys have recruited ok over the past 2 seasons. They didn't have a great year last year but I'd expect them to be better.

Should be a fun game.

[HogimusMaximus]

Solid matchup. The Cowboys have recruited ok over the past 2 seasons. They didn't have a great year last year but I'd expect them to be better.

Should be a fun game.

Easy drive for our Tulsa Hogs and Gallagher Iba is a historic arena.  Hopefully it is a weekend game.

[poloprince]

Definitely a winnable game  :razorback:

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

This is a game I've been craving being a Tulsa hog!

[azhog10]

That makes Texas, Minny, and Oklahoma St for next years Non conference? Pretty solid group no matter what else is added.

[Jonteviosk]

Hey AZ anything on a possible top 25 team maybe besides Texas?

[razorhead94]

So two road games @OKST and @Minnesotta.  Winning just one of those would tremendously help the RPI.

[SuperSid4Ever]

This is a game I've been craving being a Tulsa hog!

What is that, like 70-80 miles and a few toll gates?

[azhog10]

Hey AZ anything on a possible top 25 team maybe besides Texas?

Haven't heard. But really don't care about top 25. I would likee to see 3-4 top 50 teams in our Non-conf and try to stay awa from teams that land in the 200+ range. Obviously there's no way to really know before the season gets started. But we have a solid schedule so far in terms of helping our RPI. I wouldn't mind seeing a top 25 team, however I would be afraid of the return trip next year if Barford leaves and Kingsley and Hannahs graduating.

[Captain Morgan]

Why can't we ever play Kansas in this SEC vs Big12 challenge? I would be more interested in going to the Phog and actually playing a real team but for some reason we play the 2nd and 3rd tier programs like Texas Tech, Iowa State and now T. Boone Pickens State. I want to play Kansas because we will get high ratings and be in national TV

[JackMcQueen]

I want to play Kansas because we will get high ratings and be on national TV

I'm sure the normal Kansas/Kentucky game would get higher ratings than Kansas/Arkansas.

[Captain Morgan]

I'm sure the normal Kansas/Kentucky game would get higher ratings than Kansas/Arkansas.

They just had that game last year. I thought this rotates teams

[rzrbackramsfan]

Kansas playing in bud Walton would be very interesting.

[cityhog]

Why can't we ever play Kansas in this SEC vs Big12 challenge? I would be more interested in going to the Phog and actually playing a real team but for some reason we play the 2nd and 3rd tier programs like Texas Tech, Iowa State and now T. Boone Pickens State. I want to play Kansas because we will get high ratings and be in national TV

ISU beat us like a rented mule. You really want Kansas?

[Captain Morgan]

Kansas playing in bud Walton would be very interesting.

I like this idea as well. I would just like to make a short drive from Fayetteville to Lawrence and see a game at the Phog. 

[Atlhogfan1]

I look fwd to the day when our program is considered to be matched with KU in this series.  As it is, we get what we get.  Good local matchup in a game that should be played every so often anyway.  Wouldn't mind seeing us play them or OU in Tulsa's new downtown arena sometime. 

The Texas game in Houston is still standing out as the best matchup and branding opportunity for the program in the non conference. 

Haven't heard. But really don't care about top 25. I would likee to see 3-4 top 50 teams in our Non-conf and try to stay awa from teams that land in the 200+ range. Obviously there's no way to really know before the season gets started. But we have a solid schedule so far in terms of helping our RPI. I wouldn't mind seeing a top 25 team, however I would be afraid of the return trip next year if Barford leaves and Kingsley and Hannahs graduating.

Those kinds of losses aren't debilitating though.  Provides excitement, interest and opportunity for an achievement.  You are a serious fan and will pay attention and have interest in most every opponent and can appreciate those Dayton and Akron games.  We need to play one every once in a while the masses will take interest in. 

[JackMcQueen]

Wouldn't mind seeing us play them or OU in Tulsa's new downtown arena sometime. 

I wouldn't mind having a neutral site game with OU at the BOK Center. A little more in the middle for the Sooner & Hog fans.

[azhog10]

I look fwd to the day when our program is considered to be matched with KU in this series.  As it is, we get what we get.  Good local matchup in a game that should be played every so often anyway.  Wouldn't mind seeing us play them or OU in Tulsa's new downtown arena sometime. 

The Texas game in Houston is still standing out as the best matchup and branding opportunity for the program in the non conference. 

Those kinds of losses aren't debilitating though.  Provides excitement, interest and opportunity for an achievement.  You are a serious fan and will pay attention and have interest in most every opponent and can appreciate those Dayton and Akron games.  We need to play one every once in a while the masses will take interest in.

I agree that we need to have one. I'd be curious if we get into any tournament early in the season. There you can possibly get one of those match ups. But not many top 25's will come to BWA. Would most likely be on a neutral floor.

[Inhogswetrust]

Easy drive for our Tulsa Hogs and Gallagher Iba is a historic arena.  Hopefully it is a weekend game.

Gallager Iba Arena is a great place to watch a basketball game!

[Atlhogfan1]

I agree that we need to have one. I'd be curious if we get into any tournament early in the season. There you can possibly get one of those match ups. But not many top 25's will come to BWA. Would most likely be on a neutral floor.

Yep.  Get into a game or tourney in the Garden.  Our program just doesn't have the profile right now though for some of these matchups. 

[lynbug]

It's kinda like the building credit conundrum.  We need high profile non-con games to build RPI but those games are hard to get because of our recent RPI.  Guess that means we're back to playing our hearts our to  finish in the top tier of the SEC.  Any ideas on whether that is unlikely or likely given our current roster for next year?

[nationwish]

I wouldn't mind having a neutral site game with OU at the BOK Center. A little more in the middle for the Sooner & Hog fans.

The BOK Center is not good for basketball. Union High School has a better arena for basketball than the BOK.

[McKdaddy]

Gallager Iba Arena is a great place to watch a basketball game!

It used to be a great place to watch a game.

They overbuilt (sound familiar?) when they renovated about 15 years ago, going from about 6,300 seats to about 13,600.  Post-Eddie, the place is 1/2 to 2/3 empty most games and their formerly feared home court advantage is muted.  However, the renovation was nicely done w/ many modern amenities.  But 7,000 extra seats ended up being too many, particularly when the Thunder have drawn discretionary dollars from ou & osu basketball since the renovation, in addition to the mediocrity in osu basketball, and the rise of osu football that too may draw dollars from basketball.  Maybe getting 3,000 extra people to drive from okc and Tulsa on a Wednesday winter night to Stillwater would've been fine, but 7,000 more doing it was a tall number.

[nwahogfan1]

I like this idea as well. I would just like to make a short drive from Fayetteville to Lawrence and see a game at the Phog. 

Kansas coming to Arkansas to play a nobody in College bb is like us going to ARK. St.  What is in it for the favorite?   Nothing.

[HogimusMaximus]

It used to be a great place to watch a game.

They overbuilt (sound familiar?) when they renovated about 15 years ago, going from about 6,300 seats to about 13,600.  Post-Eddie, the place is 1/2 to 2/3 empty most games and their formerly feared home court advantage is muted.  However, the renovation was nicely done w/ many modern amenities.  But 7,000 extra seats ended up being too many, particularly when the Thunder have drawn discretionary dollars from ou & osu basketball since the renovation, in addition to the mediocrity in osu basketball, and the rise of osu football that too may draw dollars from basketball.  Maybe getting 3,000 extra people to drive from okc and Tulsa on a Wednesday winter night to Stillwater would've been fine, but 7,000 more doing it was a tall number.

It is not as cavernous and empty as BWA has been these last few years.  We REALLY overbuilt.

[FineAsSwine]

Kansas coming to Arkansas to play a nobody in College bb is like us going to ARK. St.  What is in it for the favorite?   Nothing.

What's in it for ESPN is the better question. That's what is driving the scheduling, the TV ratings. We start winning at a high level and being consistently ranked and we will start being a part of the made for TV matchups. Got to start turning heads on a national level for that to happen. Got to win at home and on the road in big games plus win the ones we are supposed to win. This year we need to see some strides in that direction.

[FineAsSwine]

It is not as cavernous and empty as BWA has been these last few years.  We REALLY overbuilt.

which really makes our attendance numbers look worse than they are. the numbers aren't really that bad when you look at the where the program has fallen to since Nolan. I would love to have us in something around 10,000 seats with a waiting list of 5,000 to 7,000 who want to get in but can't.

[McKdaddy]

It is not as cavernous and empty as BWA has been these last few years.  We REALLY overbuilt.

Agreed.  To my osu friends, they find GIA attendance as depressing as we find BWA attendance.

[Inhogswetrust]

It used to be a great place to watch a game.

They overbuilt (sound familiar?) when they renovated about 15 years ago, going from about 6,300 seats to about 13,600.  Post-Eddie, the place is 1/2 to 2/3 empty most games and their formerly feared home court advantage is muted.  However, the renovation was nicely done w/ many modern amenities.  But 7,000 extra seats ended up being too many, particularly when the Thunder have drawn discretionary dollars from ou & osu basketball since the renovation, in addition to the mediocrity in osu basketball, and the rise of osu football that too may draw dollars from basketball.  Maybe getting 3,000 extra people to drive from okc and Tulsa on a Wednesday winter night to Stillwater would've been fine, but 7,000 more doing it was a tall number.

It wouldn't be a tall number IF they had the right coach and were winning more. I do agree that the Thunder has probably hurt their attendance as well.

[McKdaddy]

It wouldn't be a tall number IF they had the right coach and were winning more.

Agreed

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/BrianHamiltonSI/status/762710449112645632

[ShadowHawg]

Kansas coming to Arkansas to play a nobody in College bb is like us going to ARK. St.  What is in it for the favorite?   Nothing.

They have done it before and got stomped the year the won it all with Danny Manning.

[ShadowHawg]

It is not as cavernous and empty as BWA has been these last few years.  We REALLY overbuilt.

This is bs. We really made some bad hires. Win and they will come.

[The_Iceman]

Pretty rough attendance recently.

I've played in G-I arena back in high school for a camp. I had never been to another arena other than BWA. What surprised me was how steep the stands were and how on top of the court you felt. Really nice place to watch a game.

[Inhogswetrust]

Pretty rough attendance recently.

I've played in G-I arena back in high school for a camp. I had never been to another arena other than BWA. What surprised me was how steep the stands were and how on top of the court you felt. Really nice place to watch a game.

GI arena is a great place to watch a game just like most arena's are when a really good team occupies it.