KU, K-State will play home games in 2018 Big 12/SEC Challenge, Mizzou left out

The Kansas men’s basketball team will get a home game against Texas A&M in the 2018 Big 12/SEC Challenge, while Missouri will not be a part of the event for the third straight year.

In addition, Kansas State will play host to Georgia on Jan. 27, as ESPN announced the full pairings Thursday.

KU, which played Kentucky in the challenge last season, is 20-1 all-time against former Big 12 foe Texas A&M. The Jayhawks will still play Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Nov. 14 at United Center in Chicago.

The Big 12 is 25-15 in the event’s four seasons, winning the first three years before going 5-5 in 2017.

The bottom four teams in last season’s Southeastern Conference standings, including Missouri, were left out of the next two challenges. Athletic director Jim Sterk addressed why Mizzou and No. 1 recruit Michael Porter won’t be part of the series in 2018.

“The SEC, working with the event’s television partner, ESPN, annually selects the teams that will represent our conference in the challenge, and one of the key factors in determining the SEC’s entrants is a program’s recent on-court performance, which is certainly understandable,” Sterk said. “I can say with confidence that Mizzou Basketball will have several opportunities to play quality non-conference opponents in future years — home, away and at neutral sites.”

2018 Big 12/SEC Challenge

Games on Saturday, Jan. 27; Time/TV to be announced

Texas A&M at Kansas

Georgia at Kansas State

Baylor at Florida

Tennessee at Iowa State

Oklahoma at Alabama

Oklahoma State at Arkansas

TCU at Vanderbilt

Mississippi at Texas

Texas Tech at South Carolina

Kentucky at West Virginia

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 9:32 AM with the headline "KU, K-State will play home games in 2018 Big 12/SEC Challenge, Mizzou left out."