Baylor basketball head coach Scott Drew announced the Bears’ 31-game 2017-18 schedule on Thursday afternoon. All BU games will be televised for a sixth consecutive season, including at least 21 games on ESPN networks.
Baylor’s 13-game non-conference schedule is highlighted by a four-game stretch against some of the premier teams in college basketball. The Bears will also play a game at Fort Hood for the third consecutive season.
BU opens the 2017-18 season with three consecutive home games against Central Arkansas (Nov. 10), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Nov. 13) and Alcorn State (Nov. 17).
The Bears then begin a grueling stretch with the Hall of Fame Classic at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Baylor faces Wisconsin on at 8:30 p.m. CT on Nov. 20 (ESPN2), then takes on either UCLA or Creighton the following day at 6:30 p.m. or 9 p.m. (ESPN2/3).
Baylor travels to Cincinnati for the back end of a home-and-home series with Xavier on Nov. 28. The Bears defeated No. 7 Xavier, 76-61, when the teams met in Waco on Dec. 3 last season.
BU returns home for a marquee non-conference matchup against Wichita State at 1 p.m. on Dec. 2 (ESPNU). The Bears are scheduled to return the trip and play at Wichita State in 2018.
The Bears then head to Fort Hood to play in Abrams Gym. BU will face Randall inside the 2,500-seat arena, and all tickets will be free to military members and their families.
BU returns to the Ferrell Center for three consecutive home games leading into Big 12 play. The Bears host Texas Southern at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 (ESPN2), Savannah State on Dec. 17 and Southern on Dec. 20.
Drew’s squad opens Big 12 play at Texas Tech on Dec. 29. The Bears then play consecutive home games against TCU on Jan. 2 (ESPNEWS) and Texas on Jan. 6 (ESPNU). BU heads back on the road for games at West Virginia on Jan. 9 (ESPN2) and at Iowa State on Jan. 13 (ESPNEWS).
Home games against Oklahoma State on Jan. 15 (ESPNU) and Kansas State on Jan. 22 (ESPNU) are split by a trip to Kansas on Jan. 20 (ESPN). The Bears play three of the next four on the road, beginning with a Big 12/SEC Challenge game at Florida on Jan. 27. BU also plays at Oklahoma on Jan. 30 (ESPN2) and at Oklahoma State on Feb. 6 (ESPNU), with a home game against Iowa State mixed in on Feb. 3 (ESPN2).
BU then plays consecutive games in marquee time slots on major networks. The Bears’ home game against Kansas on Feb. 10 will tip at 1 p.m. and air nationally on CBS, and their road game at Texas on Feb. 12 will tip at 8 p.m. as part of ESPN’s Big Monday.
Baylor returns home for three of the next four, with games against Texas Tech on Feb. 17 (ESPNU), West Virginia on Feb. 20 (ESPN2) and Oklahoma on Feb. 27 (ESPN2). BU’s final two road games of the season are at TCU on Feb. 24 (ESPN/2) and at Kansas State on March 3 (ESPN/2).
The 2018 Big 12 Championship runs March 7-10 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
Tipoff times and network designations for most non-conference games and a number of Big 12 contests will be announced at the later date.
Season tickets can be purchased by calling the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000 or online at www.BaylorBears.com/tickets. Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the year.
Baylor Basketball 2017-18 Schedule
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TV TIME (CT)
Friday, Nov. 10 CENTRAL ARKANSAS1 Waco, Texas TBA TBA
Monday, Nov. 13 TAMU-CORPUS CHRISTI Waco, Texas TBA TBA
Friday, Nov. 17 ALCORN STATE1 Waco, Texas TBA TBA
Monday, Nov. 20 vs. Wisconsin2 Kansas City, Mo. ESPN2 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 21 vs. UCLA -or- Creighton2 Kansas City, Mo. ESPN2/3 6:30/9 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 28 at Xavier Cincinnati, Ohio TBA TBA
Saturday, Dec. 2 WICHITA STATE Waco, Texas ESPNU 1 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 4 SAM HOUSTON STATE Waco, Texas TBA TBA
Saturday, Dec. 9 vs. Randall3 Fort Hood, Texas TBA 6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 14 TEXAS SOUTHERN Waco, Texas ESPN2 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 17 SAVANNAH STATE Waco, Texas TBA TBA
Wednesday, Dec. 20 SOUTHERN Waco, Texas TBA TBA
Friday, Dec. 29 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas TBA TBA
Tuesday, Jan. 2 TCU Waco, Texas ESPNEWS TBA
Saturday, Jan. 6 TEXAS Waco, Texas ESPNU 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 9 at West Virginia Morgantown, W.Va. ESPN2 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 13 at Iowa State Ames, Iowa ESPNEWS TBA
Monday, Jan. 15 OKLAHOMA STATE Waco, Texas ESPNU 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 20 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan. ESPN 5 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 22 KANSAS STATE Waco, Texas ESPNU 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 27 at Florida4 Gainesville, Fla. TBA TBA
Tuesday, Jan. 30 at Oklahoma Norman, Okla. ESPN2 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 3 IOWA STATE Waco, Texas ESPN2 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla. ESPNU 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 10 KANSAS Waco, Texas CBS 1 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 12 at Texas Austin, Texas ESPN 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 17 TEXAS TECH Waco, Texas ESPNU 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 20 WEST VIRGINIA Waco, Texas ESPN2 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 24 at TCU Fort Worth, Texas ESPN/2 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 27 OKLAHOMA Waco, Texas ESPN2 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 3 at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. ESPN/2 1 p.m.
March 7-10 Big 12 Championship5 Kansas City, Mo. TBA TBA
1 – Hall of Fame Classic Campus Site Games; Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas)
2 – Hall of Fame Classic; Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.)
3 – at Abrams Gym (Fort Hood, Texas)
4 – Big 12/SEC Challenge; O’Connell Center (Gainesville, Fla.)
5 – at Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.)
