NEW ORLEANS – The 2025-26 women’s basketball season tips off Monday night with the third year of the
MAC-SBC Challenge, as 13 Sun Belt Conference programs host Mid-American Conference opponents.
All 13 games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
MAC-SBC CHALLENGE
Among Monday’s key matchups, the reigning Sun Belt tournament champion Arkansas State hosts the reigning MAC champion, Ball State as the reigning Sun Belt regular season champion, James Madison hosts MAC preseason favorite Kent State. James Madison and Kent State opened their seasons against each other last year, with the Dukes getting the 67-56 victory.
The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest for each team will be announced in January before tipping off on Saturday, February 7th. The Sun Belt men and MAC 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.
MAC-SBC HISTORY
During the 2024-25 season the MAC defeated the Sun Belt women with the MAC claiming an 8-4 record in November home games, before going 7-5 on SBC courts in February. For the Sun Belt James Madison, Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern won both MAC matchups last season.
The Sun Belt captured the inaugural MAC-SBC Challenge title in 2023-24, the Sun Belt lost to the MAC 7-5 in the spring, but dominated in Nov. going 9-3, to go 16-8. Overall the Sun Belt women are 25-23 in the MAC-SBC Challenge
PEYTON’S PLACE
The 2025 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year, James Madison redshirt senior guard Peyton McDaniel is the league’s top returning scorer from a year ago after averaging 16.0 points per game and scoring in double-figures 31 times for the Dukes last season. This is the second year in a row McDaniel has gotten the preseason nod, though she also was the 2024-25 Sun Belt Player of the Year following her performance last season.
RETAINING TALENT
The five players voted First Team All-Sun Belt are league veterans who earned 2024-25 post season honors as well in James Madison’s Peyton McDaniel, Troy’s Zay Dyer, Southern Miss’ Jakayla Johnson, Arkansas State’s Crislyn Rose and Old Dominion’s En’Dya Buford. In total 7 of the 15 preseason All-Sun Belt honorees earn post season honors in the league last season.
PLAYING IN PENSACOLA
The 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Basketball Championships presented by Air Force Reserve will be held March 3-9, 2026 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla., The championship game will be televised nationally on ESPNU on Monday, March 9. The 2026 tournament will mark the sixth consecutive season the Sun Belt hosts the event in Pensacola, which will remain at the venue through the 2029-30 campaign. A different program has been crowned champion in each of the first five years in Pensacola:
- 2021 - Troy
- 2022 - UTA
- 2023 – James Madison
- 2024 - Marshall
- 2025 – Arkansas State
WHERE TO WATCH
| Date |
Time |
Matchup |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
5:00 p.m. |
Buffalo at Marshalll |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
5:00 p.m. |
Central Michigan at Georgia Southern |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
5:00 p.m. |
Miami (OH) at Coastal Carolina |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
5:30 p.m. |
UMass at Old Dominion |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
5:30 p.m. |
Western Michigan at App State |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
5:30 p.m. |
Northern Illinois at Southern Miss |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
6:00 p.m |
Kent State at James Madison |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
6:00 p.m. |
Bowling Green at Louisiana |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
6:00 p.m. |
Toledo at Troy |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
6:30 p.m. |
Eastern Michigan at ULM |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
7:00 p.m. |
Ohio at Texas State |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
7:00 p.m. |
Akron at South Alabama |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, Nov. 3 |
7:00 p.m. |
Ball State at Arkansas State |
ESPN+ |
All Times CT