- Games to take place Dec. 1-3 across ESPN networks
- Men’s Challenge headlined by preseason No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Duke
- Women’s Challenge features No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 3 Duke in marquee showdown
The SEC/ACC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Challenges return for a fourth season in 2026-27, bringing together two of the nation’s premier conferences for 32 matchups across three days of competition.
The SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge will be played Tuesday, Dec. 1, and Wednesday, Dec. 2, while the SEC/ACC Women’s Challenge will take place Wednesday, Dec. 2, and Thursday, Dec. 3. All games will air across ESPN networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ACC Network and SEC Network, and will stream live on the ESPN App via an applicable subscription.
The men’s Challenge is highlighted by a blockbuster matchup between the top two teams in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25, as Florida (No. 1) welcomes Duke (No. 2) to Gainesville. Additional ranked showdowns include No. 9 Texas at. No. 13 Louisville, No. 11 Arkansas at No. 25 North Carolina, No. 15 Alabama at No. 20 Miami and No. 14 Virginia hosting No. 17 Kentucky. Overall, 13 teams featured in ESPN’s preseason Top 25 will participate in this year’s Men’s Challenge.
On the women’s side, national runner-up South Carolina (No. 1 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25) travels to No. 3 Duke in a battle of the blue bloods, while No. 8 Texas hosts No. 7 Louisville in Austin. Other top 25 teams in action include: No. 10 LSU at No. 9 North Carolina, No. 16 Notre Dame at No. 11 Vanderbilt, NC State at No. 15 Ole Miss, Clemson at No. 17 Kentucky and No. 24 Oklahoma at Syracuse.
The 2025 Men’s and Women’s Challenges each posted double-digit year-over-year viewership gains, with audiences up 25% and 27%, respectively. Florida vs. Duke (1.7 million viewers) and North Carolina vs. Kentucky (1.5 million viewers) paced the men’s Challenge, while South Carolina vs. Louisville (598,000 viewers) and LSU vs. Duke (549,000 viewers) were the most-watched games on the women’s side.
Coverage details, including start times, network designations and commentator information, will be announced closer to the 2026-27 college basketball season.
| 2026 Men’s SEC/ACC Challenge | |
| Date | Matchup |
| Tue, Dec. 1 | Auburn at Clemson |
| No. 2 Duke at No. 1 Florida | |
| Boston College at Georgia | |
| No. 9 Texas at No. 13 Louisville | |
| Wake Forest at LSU | |
| Pittsburgh at No. 21 Missouri | |
| South Carolina at NC State | |
| No. 11 Arkansas at No. 25 North Carolina | |
| Syracuse at Oklahoma | |
| Florida State at No. 6 Tennessee | |
| Ole Miss at Virginia Tech | |
| Wed, Dec. 2 | No. 15 Alabama at No. 20 Miami |
| Georgia Tech at Mississippi State | |
| No. 19 Vanderbilt at Notre Dame | |
| Stanford at Texas A&M | |
| No. 17 Kentucky at No. 14 Virginia | |
| 2026 Women’s SEC/ACC Challenge | |
| Date | Matchup |
| Wed, Dec. 2 | Stanford at Auburn |
| Miami at Florida | |
| No. 10 LSU at No. 9 North Carolina | |
| NC State at No. 15 Ole Miss | |
| Georgia at SMU | |
| No. 7 Louisville at No. 8 Texas | |
| Thu, Dec. 3 | Georgia Tech at Alabama |
| Wake Forest at Arkansas | |
| Texas A&M at California | |
| No. 1 South Carolina at No. 3 Duke | |
| Missouri at Florida State | |
| Clemson at No. 17 Kentucky | |
| Virginia at Mississippi State | |
| No. 24 Oklahoma at Syracuse | |
| No. 16 Notre Dame at No. 11 Vanderbilt | |
| Tennessee at Virginia Tech | |
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