Let’s Keep Braggin’

The annual Bud Light Braggin’ Rights basketball game in St. Louis between the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri will remain at Scottrade Center in St. Louis until at least 2017, the schools announced (along with Scottrade and Anheuser-Busch representative) Thursday. One of the nation’s best yearly non-conference basketball rivalries, the Bud Light Braggin’ Rights Game began play in St. Louis on Dec. 10, 1980, and has been played 31 times over the last 32 years, including this season’s meeting on Dec. 22, 2012, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.”The Bud Light Braggin’ Rights Game has become a holiday tradition for both Mizzou and Illinois fans and this announcement is a shining example of two athletics departments working to keep tradition alive despite the changing landscape of scheduling in college basketball,” Missouri Director of Athletics Mike Alden said. “I want to thank our friends with Anheuser-Busch, State Farm and Scottrade Center for being a major part of this great rivalry and I want to thank the city of St. Louis for being such a great host for the country’s top non-conference rivalry game.”Illinois holds a 20-11 series advantage in St. Louis and an 11-10 lead in games over the last 21 years. Missouri has won the last three meetings following up a nine-game winning streak by Illinois from 2000-08. Mizzou head coach Frank Haith coached in his first Braggin’ Rights Game last year and led the Tigers to a 78-74 victory. Illinois’ John Groce will get his first opportunity in 2012 after an impressive run at Ohio University where he led the Bobcats to a pair of NCAA Tournaments including the 2012 Sweet 16.