NEW ORLEANS – A scheduling alliance in men’s and women’s basketball, the MAC-SBC Challenge enters its second season and will tip off during the opening week of the 2024-25 campaign on Monday, November 4 with 12 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) men’s basketball programs hosting 12 Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams and the 12 MAC women’s basketball teams visiting 12 SBC programs.
 
The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest for each team will be announced in January before tipping off in early February. The MAC men and Sun Belt women will host the February matchups, as each MAC and Sun Belt team included in the MAC-SBC Challenge is guaranteed one home and one away game each season.  
 
The MAC-SBC Challenge was formed at the recommendation of the Sun Belt’s strategic planning committees for men’s and women’s basketball. Scheduling assistance is provided by Ordinal Sports Group. In addition to relevant NET data, geography and frequency of past contests is considered in determining the matchups.
 
The Sun Belt captured the inaugural MAC-SBC Challenge titles on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively, in 2023-24. The men’s teams compiled 15 wins across the 24 total matchups, including 10 in the February 2024 home contests, while the women’s teams posted 14 wins in the 24 contests, including nine during the November 2023 tilts.
 
Key matchups in the first MAC-SBC Challenge on the men’s side include Sun Belt tournament champion James Madison hosting Ohio, while reigning MAC tournament champion Akron visits Sun Belt Championship runner-up Arkansas State.


 
On the women’s side, Sun Belt champion Marshall will travel to MAC regular season champion Toledo, as SBC Championship runner-up James Madison visits reigning MAC tournament champion Kent State.


 
Each MAC-SBC Challenge game will be carried on an ESPN platform. 
 
MAC-SBC Challenge Men’s Basketball Matchups
Miami (Ohio) at App State
Akron at Arkansas State
Western Michigan at Coastal Carolina
Northern Illinois at Georgia Southern
Ball State at Georgia State
Ohio at James Madison
Kent State at Louisiana
Buffalo at Old Dominion
Central Michigan at South Alabama
Bowling Green at Southern Miss
Eastern Michigan at Texas State
Toledo at Troy
 
MAC-SBC Challenge Women’s Basketball Matchups
App State at Miami (Ohio)
Arkansas State at Western Michigan
Coastal Carolina at Central Michigan
Georgia Southern at Ohio
Georgia State at Akron
James Madison at Kent State
Louisiana at Northern Illinois
Marshall at Toledo
Old Dominion at Ball State
Southern Miss at Bowling Green
Texas State at Eastern Michigan
Troy at Buffalo