Texas basketball to participate in Pac-12 Coast-to-Coast Challenge

Both Texas Longhorns basketball programs will participate in the Pac-12 Coast-to-Coast Challenge in a doubleheader on Dec. 19 in Las Vegas. The men face off against the Stanford Cardinal at 2 p.m. Central on ABC and the women follow with a matchup against the Arizona Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Central on ESPN2.

The inaugural event was originally announced in 2019, but delayed after the coronavirus pandemic forced its cancellation last year.

The men have a 3-2 advantage in the series against Stanford with two neutral site wins and a last second victory in Palo Alto in 2016 when Texas point guard Isaiah Taylor hit a floater with 1.1 seconds remaining to edge Stanford, 75-73. Chris Beard is set to begin his first season back on the Forty Acres as a head coach after compiling a 122-55 record (.671) at Texas Tech, including a national runner-up finish in 2019.

Against Arizona, the women have a 2-1 lead in the series following victories in 1992 and 1993. Vic Schaefer enters his second year at Texas following an impressive run to the Elite Eight as a No. 6 seed.