CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) - The Atlantic Coast Conference, in conjunction with ESPN and the Southeastern Conference, has announced the matchups for the 2026 SEC/ACC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Challenges.
The fourth annual 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 fourth ACC/SEC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Challenges will be appointment viewing once again," said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. "It features fantastic interconference matchups between two of the premier, tradition-rich leagues in college basketball. We thank our partners at Disney/ESPN for their organization of the Challenge and our colleagues at the SEC, led by Greg Sankey, as we showcase our dynamic conferences.”
Coverage details, including network designations and game times, will be announced at a later date.
The winningest conference in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament history with a .652 winning percentage, the ACC’s current men’s basketball programs have combined to win 17 NCAA Championships and win 496 NCAA Tournament games all-time, the most tournament wins of any conference. Eight ACC teams earned NCAA Tournament bids last season, marking just the third time in which the league secured at least eight tournament bids. Since 2015, ACC teams have combined to win 121 NCAA Tournament games, placed 10 teams in the Final Four and won three national titles (Duke 2015, North Carolina 2017 and Virginia 2019).
On the women’s side, the ACC extended its streak to 24 consecutive NCAA Tournaments with at least one team reaching the Elite Eight, the longest active streak among all conferences. Duke and Notre Dame advanced to the regional finals last season, highlighting a year in which the league placed five teams in the Sweet 16, tying the ACC record. The conference also earned a record nine NCAA Tournament bids in 2026, while 15 of its 18 programs qualified for postseason play across the NCAA Tournament, Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) and Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
2026 SEC/ACC Men's Challenge
Tuesday, December 1
Auburn at Clemson
Duke at Florida
Texas at Louisville
Florida State at Tennessee
Wake Forest at LSU
Pitt at Missouri
South Carolina at NC State
Arkansas at North Carolina
Syracuse at Oklahoma
Ole Miss at Virginia Tech
Boston College at Georgia
Wednesday, December 2
Georgia Tech at Mississippi State
Vanderbilt at Notre Dame
Alabama at Miami
Stanford at Texas A&M
Kentucky at Virginia
2026 SEC/ACC Women's Challenge
Wednesday, December 2
LSU at North Carolina
Louisville at Texas
Miami at Florida
Georgia at SMU
NC State at Ole Miss
Stanford at Auburn
Thursday, December 3
South Carolina at Duke
Notre Dame at Vanderbilt
Tennessee at Virginia Tech
Clemson at Kentucky
Oklahoma at Syracuse
Wake Forest at Arkansas
Missouri at Florida State
Texas A&M at California
Georgia Tech at Alabama
Virginia at Mississippi State