Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report: Big 12/SEC Challenge receives mostly good reviews

For the most part, the Big 12/SEC Challenge lived up to expectations. ESPN followed through with its promise to bring exposure to both conferences, and televised all 10 games on its networks between breakfast and dinner on Saturday. If you went to a restaurant or sports bar while the event was taking place, you saw it.

Good crowds turned out to the majority of games, and many of the matchups entertained. By the time Kansas and Kentucky tipped, the challenge felt special.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl urged his team to play for conference pride, telling players on a televised pregame speech he wanted to hear the letters S-E-C! chanted throughout the arena. Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford called the new format “genius” after the Big 12 took home the trophy as 7-3 winners.

“I think it was genius to put this thing together on Jan. 30,” Ford said. “It was an amazing day, just for the stage that the Big 12 and SEC had. The Big 12/SEC Challenge got all the publicity.”

But it wasn’t for everyone.

“I didn’t think we got the bang for the buck,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said.

Weber thought the event fell short because the games involving teams from the lower half of the standings didn’t receive enough attention. Kansas and Kentucky was the stage for “College GameDay” but K-State’s win over Mississippi was on ESPNU, with highlights shown sparsely during other games.

The challenge is good for both leagues, because it creates a quality nonconference game for everyone, Weber said, but the publicity it creates isn’t worth breaking up conference play. He wants the games to return to December.

“I watched four (Big 12/SEC Challenge) games after (we played) and I didn’t see any highlights of our game,” Weber said. “They always put the graphic up that we won and who was the leading scorer ... If we are going to give up a bye game during the league and if we are going to put in that 19th league game, basically, I would hope we would get more bang for the buck.

“From my point of view and our team’s point of view, I think we could have gotten a little more publicity out of it.”

Before Saturday, most coaches seemed in favor of moving the event to a traditional nonconference date. We’ll see if they still feel that way.

Without football to compete against, it was the biggest event of the day. The weekend before the Super Bowl could become a good permanent home.

Weber was critical, but other coaches liked the event.

Texas A&M hosted Iowa State in front of a record crowd. Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield against LSU’s Ben Simmons was wildly entertaining. Kentucky coach John Calipari praised the atmosphere at Allen Fieldhouse.

Together, those experiences made the Big 12/SEC Challenge feel new and important.

“This weekend said what folks have been saying the last couple of years,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. “We are established as the best conference in the country. Our league is on a good run right now with good young players and that was once again validated this weekend.”

Power rankings

1. Oklahoma (18-2, 6-2): Hield outdueled Simmons on Saturday.

2. Kansas (17-4, 5-3): Shaky on the road. Unbeaten at home.

3. West Virginia (17-4, 6-2): Press failed the Mountaineers at Florida.

4. Baylor (17-4, 6-2): Bears are quietly one of the Big 12’s best teams.

5. Iowa State (16-5, 5-3): On top of Cyclones, Texas A&M has beaten Baylor, Texas and K-State.

6. Texas (14-7, 5-3): Longhorns appear NCAA Tournament bound in Shaka Smart’s first season.

7. Kansas State (13-8, 2-6): Solid win over Ole Miss, but Kamau Stokes’ injury hurts.

8. Oklahoma State (11-10, 2-6): Cowboys loved stepping out of league play this weekend.

9. Texas Tech (12-8, 2-6): So many close games. Not many wins.

10. TCU (10-11, 1-7): Horned Frogs have never lost in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report: Big 12/SEC Challenge receives mostly good reviews."