Big 12/Big Ten Challenge underway, last year of the series

The Big Ten wrapped up a challenge with the ACC Thursday in a 6-6 draw between the conferences. This afternoon a matchup between Penn State and Texas Tech in Lubbock kicks off the

Big 12/Big Ten Challenge. The schedule:

Saturday
Penn State at Texas Tech, 3 p.m. ET
Northwestern at Missouri, 5 p.m. ET
Iowa at Kansas State, 8 p.m. ET, TV: Fox Sports KC

Sunday
Oklahoma State at Indiana, Noon
Texas A&M at Purdue, Noon, TV: BTN
Iowa State at Michigan, 2 p.m. ET
Baylor at Minnesota, 2 p.m. ET, TV: BTN
Ohio State at Oklahoma, 3 p.m. ET, TV: SSN

This will be the last year of the Big 12/Big Ten challenge due to shakeups within the Big 12 and other conference. The Big Ten is looking at other conferences for challenges.

Purdue coach Sharon Versyp indicated her displeasure with the back-to-back scheduling of conference challenges for the Big 10.

"I wasn’t in favor of two because we already play a tough schedule," said Versyp to the Journal and Courier earlier this week . "I don’t mind the challenges if they have it on two different weekends. Back-to-back is not smart scheduling."

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder told the newspaper that she would like to see another challenge for the conference since the Big 12 series is ending.

"We would like to see another conference challenge," she said. "We approached the SEC but they declined. The Big East, they’re saying we’re going to do something but they’re in a state of flux and no one knows what is going to happen."

In other Big 12 action, Texas travels to Knoxville to face Tennessee on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on FS South. Kansas plays Alabama the same day at 3 p.m. ET.