FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks are going to play a basketball game at Texas Tech for the first time in 28 seasons.
The Razorbacks will play the Red Raiders on Jan. 26 in Lubbock, Texas, in the Big 12-SEC Challenge it was announced Thursday.
It will be the first time the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville has played at Texas Tech since the Razorbacks beat the Red Raiders 113-96 on Jan. 12, 1991, when both teams were in the Southwest Conference.
No tipoff time or broadcast information about the Arkansas-Texas Tech game has been announced, but all games in the Big 12-SEC Challenge will be televised on one of ESPN's networks. Four of the 10 games will be televised on ESPN, four on ESPN2 and two on ESPNU.
Texas Tech Coach Chris Beard, who led the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to a 30-5 record during the 2015-16 season and a victory over Purdue in the NCAA Tournament, has a 45-24 record with the Red Raiders in two seasons.
Beard led Texas Tech to a 27-10 record and to an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance last season, when eventual national champion Villanova beat the Red Raiders 71-59 in the East Regional final.
Texas Tech, like Arkansas, lost six seniors from last season's team. The Red Raiders also have lost guard Zhaire Smith, who averaged 11.3 points as a freshman and is keeping his name in the NBA Draft.
Jarrett Culver, a 6-5 guard who will be a junior, is the Red Raiders' lone returning starter. He averaged 11.2 points last season. Also back is guard Brandone Francis, a transfer from Florida who averaged 6.4 points off the bench in Big 12 games.
Texas Tech is adding 6-11 center Tariq Owens, a graduate transfer from St. John's who began his college career at Tennessee. Owens averaged 8.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and a Big East-leading 2.8 blocked shots last season.
Arkansas is 2-2 in Big 12-SEC Challenge games, including a 75-68 overtime victory against Texas Tech in Walton Arena during the 2015-16 season.
The Arkansas-Texas Tech series is tied 39-39 with the Raiders holding a 23-11 edge at home.
Other Big 12-SEC Challenge games are:
Alabama at Baylor
Florida at TCU
Texas at Georgia
Kansas at Kentucky
Iowa State at Ole Miss
South Carolina at Oklahoma State
West Virginia at Tennessee
Kansas State at Texas A&M
Vanderbilt at Oklahoma
Texas Tech is the fourth non-conference opponent for Arkansas to be announced along with a matchup against Texas on Nov. 9 in El Paso, Texas, in the Armed Forces Classic, a home game against Western Kentucky and road game at Colorado State.
Sports on 05/25/2018