NEW ORLEANS – A scheduling alliance in men’s and women’s basketball, the MAC-SBC Challenge tips off its fourth season with first-round matchups on Monday, November 2.
Twelve Sun Belt Conference (SBC) men’s basketball programs will host Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams, as the 12 MAC women’s basketball teams take their home courts against as many Sun Belt opponents. Each MAC-SBC Challenge game will be carried on an ESPN platform.
The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest for each team will be announced in January before tipping off in early February. The Sun Belt women and MAC men 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.
Headlining the first MAC-SBC Challenge of the 2026-27 season on the men’s side, MAC tournament champion Akron travels to Louisiana, while reigning MAC regular season champion Miami (Ohio) visits James Madison.
On the women’s side, Sun Belt tournament champion James Madison will travel to MAC regular season and tournament champion Miami. Additionally, 2026 WNIT champion Marshall begins the campaign at UMass.
Sun Belt men’s basketball reigns unbeaten through three years of the Challenge, capturing titles in 2023-24 and 2025-26, respectively, including a tie in 2024-25. The Sun Belt and MAC women’s teams tied las season, after the women seized the inaugural crown in 2023-24 before the MAC was victorious in 2024-25.
About The MAC-SBC Challenge
The MAC-SBC Challenge began during the 2023-24 season at the recommendation of the Sun Belt’s strategic planning committees for men’s and women’s basketball. The Sun Belt and MAC agreed to a two-year extension of the MAC-SBC Challenge through the 2028-29 season for what will be the fifth and sixth years of the scheduling alliance. 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.
MAC-SBC Challenge Men’s Basketball Matchups
Toledo at Arkansas State
Eastern Michigan at Coastal Carolina
Ball State at Georgia Southern
Bowling Green at Georgia State
Miami (Ohio) at James Madison
Akron at Louisiana
Central Michigan at ULM
Kent State at Louisiana Tech
Buffalo at Marshall
Western Michigan at Old Dominion
Ohio at South Alabama
UMass at Troy
MAC-SBC Challenge Women’s Basketball Matchups
App State at Eastern Michigan
Arkansas State at Ball State
Coastal Carolina at Western Michigan
Georgia Southern at Bowling Green
Georgia State at Buffalo
James Madison at Miami (Ohio)
Louisiana Tech at Toledo
ULM at Ohio
Marshall at UMass
Old Dominion at Central Michigan
South Alabama at Akron
Troy at Kent State