The much-hyped and anticipated ACC/SEC Challenge enters year three, with the SEC looking to continue its dominance from a year ago.
After the conferences split their 14 games in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge in 2023, the SEC won 14 of 16 contests last year. And it wasn’t close with 11 of the SEC’s victories by double-digits, including four by 20 or more. The SEC is 21-9 all-time in the ACC/SEC Challenge series, with four squads boasting a 2-0 record. Clemson is the only ACC program to have won both of their matchups.
The SEC is considered one of the top two basketball conferences in the nation, while the ACC has dipped out of the top three this decade. Since the 2020 NCAA Tournament, the SEC has earned 42 NCAA Tournament bids, including an NCAA record 14 last season, compared to 26 for the ACC. The SEC has received 16 more berths than the ACC over the three tournaments.
The 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge Preview: Can The ACC Narrow The Gap Between The Power Conferences
Overall, this decade, three SEC teams have reached the Final Four, with two squads, Florida and Auburn, doing so this past season. Florida is the defending national champion. Meanwhile, five ACC teams have reached the Final Four during this stretch, with Duke accomplishing the feat this past season.
The SEC is projected to receive 10 or 11 NCAA tournament bids in 2026, compared to seven for the ACC. However, the ACC appears to be closing the gap. Duke is the only team from either conference likely to earn a No. 1 seed. The ACC has gotten off to a great start to the 2025-26 campaign, recording the second-most wins of any conference and fourth-best winning percentage (77.2%), just behind the SEC (78.2%). Both conferences have three teams entering the ACC/SEC Challenge undefeated, though Mississippi State is the only squad with a losing record. Duke (2), SMU, Clemson, and Louisville already have victories over SEC opponents.
The 2025 SEC/ACC Challenge will take place December 2 and 3, with 16 games once again—Florida at Duke, UNC at Kentucky, and Louisville at Arkansas headline nine intriguing contests. Stanford and Cal are the ACC teams not competing in the event. ESPN is the exclusive broadcast partner of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
The 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge Matchups
Florida Gators at Duke Blue Devils
Florida (5-2) and Duke (8-0) top the list of this year’s ACC/SEC Challenge must-watch games, as it pits the defending national champs against the nation’s top 2025 recruiting class. Game time is 7:30 pm on Tuesday.
Florida has dropped two of its first seven games, but it has challenged itself in the early going with a top-25 strength of schedule and close neutral-court losses to Arizona and TCU. While the Gators have struggled shooting from deep and with fouls, they are elite defensively and a fantastic rebounding team, led by their strong frontcourt rotation.
Duke is one of 25 Division I teams still undefeated, though just seven are 8-0. Cameron Boozer is not only one of the top freshmen in the country but one of the best players. Boozer, who is making an impact on both ends of the floor, is averaging nearly a double-double, though he is getting quite a bit of help. Nine Blue Devils average double-figure minutes and at least five points a game. The Blue Devils rank in the top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency.
North Carolina Tar Heels at Kentucky Wildcats
In a battle of Blue Bloods, UNC heads to the Bluegrass State to face Kentucky.
Kentucky (5-2) has struggled defensively in its two previous matchups against top teams. Falling to Louisville (96-88) and Michigan State (83-66). The Wildcats are deep and have been very good offensively, though they don’t get to the foul line enough. Denzel Aberdeen leads five Wildcats in double-figures.
North Carolina (6-1) is coming off a huge neutral site loss to Michigan State (74-58), but they also have a quality victory over Kansas. The Tar Heel have been excellent defensively and are led by freshman sensation Caleb Wilso,,n who leads three players indouble figuress with nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Heels do a great job drawing fouls and hitting the glass. However, they remain without Seth Trimble.
Louisville Cardinals at Arkansas Razorbacks
Louisville (7-0) and Arkansas (5-2) entered the season ranked in the preseason top 15. Tipoff is at 7:15 pm on Wednesday.
Louisville is off to its best start in over a decade, as the Cardinals have been one of the top teams on both ends of the court. The Cardinals are ranked third in the nation in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Cardinals love to launch 3-pointers, ranking second in the country with 13.3 makes and fourth in attempts at 35.6. Led by seniors Ryan Conwell and Mikel Brown Jr., the Cardinals have seven players making major contributions, and fouling is their only real weakness through the first seven games. They have key wins over Kentucky and Cincinnati.
Arkansas is coming off an 80-71 loss to Duke, in which the Blue Devils shot 49% from the field. The Razorbacks also lost to Michigan State earlier in the season. Led by freshmen guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas, Arkansas is one of the best passing and ball-handling teams in the league. They also do a good job getting to the line.
Virginia Cavaliers at Texas Longhorns
The Virginia Cavaliers (6-1) head to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns (6-2) for the first time. The Cavaliers and Longhorns both have new coaches this year.
Virginia is off to a fantastic start under Ryan Odom. The Cavaliers, who were 6-1 last season, are uncharacteristically one of the top offensive teams in the nation, averaging 87.6 points per game. The Cavaliers shoot it well from deep and don’t turn the ball over much. But what they do best is hit the offensive glass, averaging a nation-best 17.2 offensive boards a contest. Belgium freshman forward Thjis De Ridder tops six players averaging eight or more points with 18 points while shooting 56.6% from the field and 44.4% from the 3-point line.
Sean Miller has Texas off to a solid start. The Longhorns are 1-1 against the ACC this season after beating NC State 102-97 in a shootout in the fifth-place game of the Maui Invitational. They lost to Duke in the first game of the season.
Texas is an outstanding shooting team, knocking down 51.1% of its shots and averaging nearly 91 points per game. The Longhorns, who are getting contributions from all nine regulars in their rotation, get to the free-throw line a ton and are excellent on the glass.
NC State Wolfpack at Auburn Tigers
Both NC State and Auburn enter the contest having been ranked this year and with a pair of losses. The Wolfpack leads the all-time series 6-4, though the programs haven’t met since 2019.
NC State (5-2) went 1-2 in the Maui Invitational, losing to Seton Hall and Texas. The Wolfpack is a high-flying, well-balanced senior-laden squad that shoots and shares the ball exceptionally well. The Wolfpack, who don’t turn the ball over much, ranks in the top 50 in the country across the board with splits of 51.7/42.2/76.2. Darion Williams leads the way with 18.3 points a game on 55.3% from the field and 2.7 treys at an ACC-best clip of 54.3%.
Auburn (6-2) went 2-1 in the Players Era Festival with wins over Oregon and St. John’s and a 30-point setback to Michigan. The Tigers are a good shooting team, though they struggle on defense under rookie head coach Steven Pearl, the son of former longtime coach Bruce Pearl. Senior guard Keyshawn Hall leads the way with 20 points and nine rebounds a game, while talented sophomore Tahaad Pettiford has struggled with efficiency.
Clemson Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide
Clemson and Alabama are meeting for the 15th time, with the Tigers leading the series 9-5, including 4-0 in Tuscaloosa. However, the programs split the last two meetings, with the Tigers winning the 2023 matchup in the ACC/SEC Challenge while the Crimson Tide got revenge by knocking out the Tigers in 2024 in the Elite Eight.
Clemson (7-1), on a four-game winning streak, has been one of the most consistent programs in the nation under Brad Brownell. Tigers are a well-rounded veteran-laden squad that shoots a lot of three-pointers, making 9.3 treys a game, gets to the line, and doesn’t turn the ball over — averaging just 9.0 turnovers a game. More significantly, they defend all over the floor — holding their opponents to 38.1% shooting from the field and 26.6% from the 3-point line.
Alabama (5-2) bounced from its opening game loss in the Players Era Festival to Gonzaga with 30-point wins over UNLV and Maryland. Unsurprisingly, the Crimson Tide thrives offensively, having topped the 100-point mark in each of their last two games and reaching the century mark three times already. Highly touted NBA prospect Labarron Philon, who has taken his game to another level in his sophomore campaign, leads a Tide team that loves to play fast and typically uses 10 players. Latrell Wrightsell, a key member of Nate Oats’ rotation, may be able to return from a leg injury against Clemson on Wednesday.
Oklahoma Sooners at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The Oklahoma Sooners (5-2) pay a visit to Winston-Salem (NC) to face the 6-2 Demon Deacons on Tuesday. Both teams enter the contest on a three-game winning streak in an underrated matchup, as each squad thrives offensively, with four players averaging double figures. The Sooners and the Demon Deacons also have identical 1-2 records against power conference opponents, though Wake’s losses have been by one point apiece.
SMU Mustangs at Vanderbilt Commodores
Another underrated matchup features a pair of surprising 8-0 Teams in SMU and Vanderbilt. The Mustangs, who are coming off a victory over Mississippi State, and the Commodores, coming off a Battle For 4 Atlantis tournament title, are among the highest scoring teams in the nation and top scoring starting backcourts. SMU is off to its best start since 2019-20, while 2007-08 was the last time that Vandy got off to such a strong start.
Texas A&M Aggies at Pittsburgh Panthers
Following a 95-59 victory over Florida State, the Aggies ‘ most significant win of the season, Texas A&M (6-2) takes a four-game winning streak into the Steel City to face Pitt (5-3). The Panthers snapped a two-game skid with a narrow 67-66 win over Ohio State on a Damarco Minor buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Texas A&M, under first-year head coach Bucky McMillan, loves to push the pace on both ends of the floor and put pressure on the opposition. The Aggies are averaging 12.1 threes a game, seventh most in the country, while launching nearly 32 a contest. They also attempt 28 free throws a game and cause havoc defensively with 17.6 forced turnovers. McMillan typically uses a 10-man rotation and recently got 6-8 forward Mackenzie Mgbako back from injury.
Jeff Capel has to be on the hot seat, as Pitt has not made the NCAA Tournament in the last two seasons and has done so only once during his tenure. The Panthers have lost by double digits to WVU and UCF, and Quinnipiac also upended them. The Panthers, led by forward Cameron Corhen, defend well and are a good offensive rebounding team.
Miami Hurricanes at Ole Miss Rebels
Miami (6-2), under rookie head coach Jai Lucas, heads into Oxford (Miss.) to face the Ole Miss Rebels (5-2), who are on a two-game skid. The Hurricanes are 1-2 against power conference teams, while the Rebels have lost two straight, following defeats to Iowa and Utah in the Acrisure Series Tournament.
Miami is efficient on both ends of the floor and has four players averaging double-figures, led by 6-9 forward Malik Reneau, who averages 21 points and seven rebounds. Lucas emphasises pace, ball movement, and hitting the backboard. They also defend well, limiting opponents to 65.4 points a game and 39% from the field.
Ole Miss is a solid shooting squad that relies heavily on its backcourt, led by 6-6 French guard Ilias Kamardine and AJ Storr. The Rebels don’t turn the ball over and are gritty defensively.
LSU Tigers at Boston College Eagles
LSU (7-0) looks to continue its best start since 2020-21, though it has not faced a challenging schedule. Meanwhile, Boston College (4-4) has struggled early. The Tigers are a veteran team that thrives on the interior and are outstanding on the glass and protecting the rim, led by 6-10 center Michael Nwoko.
BC snapped a two-game slide with a 73-60 victory over Harvard the last time out. The Eagles have not been good offensively and have fallen in love with the 3-point shot, though they have been strong defensively and on the glass. Donald Hand Jr., who leads the way offensively for the Eagles, has scored 18 or more points four times and topped the 20-point plateau twice.
Virginia Tech Hokies at South Carolina Gamecocks
Virginia Tech (6-2) heads to South Carolina on a two-game skid and faces a Gamecocks (5-2) squad that snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over Charleston Southern the last time out. The Gamecocks are 1-2 against teams ranked in the top 200 NET rankings, while the Hokies are 3-2 versus top 100 squads.
Tennessee Volunteers at Syracuse Orange
Tennessee (7-1) and Syracuse (4-3) are projected to be a highly entertaining affair, as both squads should know a lot about each other, as the Volunteers and Orange were in Las Vegas at the Players Era Festival together. The Volunteers went 2-1 in the event with wins over Rutgers and Houston while losing to Kansas. Meanwhile, the Orange lost to Houston (OT) and Kansas before getting blown out by Iowa State in their final game of the event.
Kiyan Anthony and Donnie Freeman are the key players for the Orange, who struggle offensively but thrive on the defensive end. Meanwhile, the Volunteers are extremely deep, with only fundamental weaknesses in turnovers and fouling. While Ja’Kobi Gillespie leads the way for the Vols, freshman Nate Ament is the player to watch.
Missouri Tigers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
In a game featuring teams looking to keep winning streaks alive, Missouri (8-0) takes on Notre Dame (5-3) in South Bend, Indiana.
Missouri has begun the season with eight straight victories for the second straight season, though its only win is over a power conference team, against Minnesota. The Tigers are a veteran team, littered with seniors and juniors, that ranks in the top 60 nationally in offensive and defensive rating. Mark Mitchell leads the way for the Tigers with 17.1 points — 64.4% shooting — 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
Notre Dame has alternated wins and losses over the last five contests and is coming off a 1-2 performance in the Players Era Festival. However, the Irish are 4-0 at home this year. Markus Burton has been fantastic this season, and Jalen Haralson has been productive, reaching double figures in six straight games.
Georgia Bulldogs at Florida State
Georgia (7-1) travels to Tallahassee to take on Florida State (6-2). The Bulldogs, the highest-scoring team in the nation at 99 points per game, are 1-1 against ACC teams this year, defeating Georgia Tech and falling to Clemson. Meanwhile, the Seminoles under rookie head coach Luke Loucks are undefeated at home (5-0). The Seminoles have lost both of their contests against SEC squads, getting blown out by Texas A&M and losing a close game to Florida (by 2).
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