CLEVELAND – The Mid-American Conference (MAC) and Sun Belt Conference (SBC) have announced an extension of their MAC-SBC Challenge in men's and women's basketball, extending the series through the 2026-27 season.
The Challenge will see the 13 basketball teams from each conference face off twice per season beginning with the 2025-26 season when UMass joins the MAC. Every matchup will be broadcast on an ESPN network.
"The MAC-SBC Challenge series presents an excellent opportunity to compete against opponents with comparable strengths and to secure additional home games," said MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher. "This initiative aligns with our tailored scheduling approach, and we enjoy this collaborative effort with the Sun Belt Conference."
"The MAC-SBC Challenge annually provides our men's and women's basketball teams with two quality non-conference games against peer institutions," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. "The NET-driven matchups create engaging games for our membership and fans against comparable competition."
Ordinal Sports Group will continue to aid in scheduling, using NET data along with geographic and historical matchup frequency to guide the pairings.
The 2024-25 season will kick off with the opening MAC-SBC Challenge matchups on Monday, November 4. Sun Belt men's teams will host MAC counterparts, while MAC women's teams will welcome Sun Belt teams. The second round, scheduled for Saturday, February 8, will see the Sun Belt women host MAC teams, with the MAC men hosting the Sun Belt teams.
Highlighted men's matchups for 2024-25 include reigning Sun Belt tournament champions James Madison taking on MAC preseason favorite Ohio, and MAC champions Akron visiting Sun Belt runner-up Arkansas State. On the women's side, Sun Belt runner-up James Madison will play against MAC champion Kent State, while Old Dominion will travel to MAC preseason favorite Ball State.
2024-25
Nov. 4 – Sun Belt Women at MAC Women
Nov. 4 – MAC Men at Sun Belt Men
Feb. 8 – MAC Women at Sun Belt Women
Feb. 8 – Sun Belt Men at MAC Men
2025-26
Nov. 3 – MAC Women at Sun Belt Women
Nov. 3 – Sun Belt Men at MAC Men
Feb. 7 – Sun Belt Women at MAC Women
Feb. 7 – MAC Men at Sun Belt Men
2026-27
Nov. 2 – Sun Belt Women at MAC Women
Nov. 2 – MAC Men at Sun Belt Men
Feb. 6 – MAC Women at Sun Belt Women
Feb. 6 – Sun Belt Men at MAC Men
