NEW ORLEANS – A scheduling alliance in men’s and women’s basketball, the MAC-SBC Challenge closes out its second season on Saturday, February 8 with 12 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) women’s basketball programs hosting 12 Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams and the 12 MAC men’s basketball teams welcoming 12 SBC programs.
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.
Each MAC-SBC Challenge game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Key matchups in the second round of the MAC-SBC Challenge on the men’s side include preseason Sun Belt favorite Arkansas State traveling to Kent State. The Red Wolves are currently listed No. 98 in the NCAA’s NET rankings while the Golden Flashes are No. 109.
Additionally, South Alabama (NET 103) will make the trip to Akron (NET 118), as Troy (NET 131) heads to Miami Ohio (NET 140) and App State (NET 150) travels to MAC preseason favorite Ohio (NET 156).
On the women’s side, each league’s preseason favorite will collide when James Madison (NET 56) hosts Ball State (NET 54). The contest represents a rematch of last February’s matchup where the Cardinals outlasted the Dukes in Muncie, Ind.
Multiple other noteworthy matchups include Coastal Carolina (NET 102) hosting Buffalo (NET 95), Troy (NET 116) welcoming Kent State (NET 127) and Louisiana (NET 147) taking on Miami Ohio (NET 145).
On the 2024-25 season’s opening night, Sun Belt men’s basketball programs collected eight home wins over MAC opponents in first round matchups, while the MAC’s women’s basketball teams earned eight victories over the Sun Belt. The Sun Belt can clinch back-to-back titles over the MAC with five road victories on the men’s side and the women can accomplish the same with nine home wins.
The Sun Belt captured the inaugural MAC-SBC Challenge titles on the men’s and women’s fronts, 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.
In a joint announcement by the leagues on Nov. 4, the MAC-SBC Challenge was extended two additional years through the 2026-27 season.
MAC-SBC Challenge Men’s Basketball Matchups
App State at Ohio
Arkansas State at Kent State
Coastal Carolina at Bowling Green
Georgia Southern at Western Michigan
Georgia State at Buffalo
James Madison at Toledo
Louisiana at Northern Illinois
Old Dominion at Eastern Michigan
South Alabama at Akron
Southern Miss at Ball State
Texas State at Central Michigan
Troy at Miami (Ohio)
MAC-SBC Challenge Women’s Basketball Matchups
Northern Illinois at App State
Bowling Green at Arkansas State
Buffalo at Coastal Carolina
Akron at Georgia Southern
Eastern Michigan at Georgia State
Ball State at James Madison
Miami (Ohio) at Louisiana
Central Michigan at Marshall
Toledo at Old Dominion
Ohio at Southern Miss
Western Michigan at Texas State
Kent State at Troy