April 27, 2009

WACO, Texas – The Baylor Bears and Arizona State Sun Devils will meet Thurs., Dec. 3 in Tempe, Ariz., as part of the 2009 Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series, the league offices announced Monday. The Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series will be in its third year after starting competition during the 2007-08 season.

In Dec. 2008, the then-No. 24 Bears defeated the Washington State Cougars, 58-52, in Pullman, Wash., to even its two-game series. In Nov. 2007, then-No. 6 Washington State held on to defeat the Bears 67-64 at the Ferrell Center.

Baylor is familiar with Arizona State as the two teams in squared off in the semifinals of the 2008 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif., in November. Baylor’s 87-78 win over the 14th-ranked Sun Devils propelled the Bears into the AP Top 25, where they would remain for a school-record seven-consecutive weeks.

Last season, the two leagues split the Hardwood Series outings 6-6. In all games played between the two conferences during 2008-09, the Big 12 held a 10-7 edge. The Pac-10 holds a 13-11 advantage in the first two years of the Hardwood Series. A season ago, the 12 contests averaged more than 10,000 fans and it two years, games from the event have seen 244,029 fans go through the turnstiles.

Additional components of the series, including start times and television broadcast information will be announced at a later date.