By Aidan Joly
On Wednesday, ESPN announced the 14 ACC-SEC Challenge games for the upcoming season, set to be held on November 28 and 29.
This combines and replaces the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and the Big 12/SEC Challenge, which were both discontinued following the 2022-23 season by ESPN.
So, this ACC-SEC Challenge will be the inaugural one. Let’s take a look at each game and ranking them.
14. Boston College at Vanderbilt (Nov. 29, 9:15 p.m.)
This game doesn’t do anything for me. A game Vanderbilt probably wins and it helps its NET rankings a little bit, but that’s really all I have here.
13. Georgia at Florida State (Nov. 29, 9:15 p.m.)
Another game between two teams at the bottom of their respective leagues, but the two schools are closer to each other in proximity. Georgia coach Mike White has played FSU a couple times while he was the coach at Florida, so there’s some familiarity.
12. LSU at Syracuse (Nov. 28, 7 p.m.)
LSU couldn’t get much worse than it was this past season, so the Tigers should be a little better. For Syracuse, the Orange play a non-conference schedule that also features the Maui Invitational and a neutral site game against Oregon, so add another Power 6 game to Red Autry’s first non-conference schedule.
11. Virginia Tech at Auburn (Nov. 29, 9:15 p.m.)
Auburn does play a tough non-conference schedule, but this should be a relatively easy win for the Tigers. Virginia Tech probably won’t be good enough to really be in the tournament conversation, but a win here would go a long way if they string enough wins in conference play together to be on the bubble.
10. Notre Dame at South Carolina (Nov. 28, 7 p.m.)
The Lou Holtz Bowl, but in basketball. This game doesn’t really move me, but it should be a decent early-season litmus test for new coach Micah Shrewsberry going on the road against a Power 6 opponent.
9. Mississippi State at Georgia Tech (Nov. 28, 7 p.m.)
Another game that will be more of a litmus test to see where they stack up and is a solid home game in year one for new Georgia Tech coach Damon Stoudamire as it faces a Bulldogs team that went to the NCAA tournament this past March.
8. Clemson at Alabama (Nov. 28, 9:30 p.m.)
*Insert a football joke here* Could have given Alabama a much better matchup here, but alas. Clemson is a projected tournament team, but this is a game that the Crimson Tide should win. But a win for Clemson would be huge for tournament hopes.
7. Florida at Wake Forest (Nov. 29, 7:15 p.m.)
Starting to get into the more interesting matchups. Florida has had a great off-season in the portal with Todd Golden and could finish towards the top of the SEC if things go right. Wake Forest could be sneaky good this season, so this would be a huge opportunity for the Demon Deacons to pick up what could end up being a Quad 1 win. An excellent test for both teams.
6. Missouri at Pittsburgh (Nov. 28, 7 p.m.)
Cool game here. Two teams that made the tournament and are on the upswing will meet up here. The Oakland Zoo is a tough place to play and will probably be even tougher now that the Panthers are good. A great early test for both teams to pick up what might end up being a Quad 1 win either way.
5. NC State at Ole Miss (Nov. 28, 9 p.m.)
The Jarkel Joiner Bowl! Both teams have some solid tools and should be decent, and the energy is up in Oxford with Chris Beard taking over the program. It’s a pretty decent and intriguing matchup and a win for either team would go a long way.
4. Texas A&M at Virginia (Nov. 29, 7:15 p.m.)
Buzz Williams and Tony Bennett will re-ignite their rivalry for a night in this one. Bennett has won seven of the 10 matchups between the two. Texas A&M tends to play a weaker non-conference schedule, but plays a strong one this year and this matchup adds to it.
3. Miami at Kentucky (Nov. 28, 7:30 p.m.)
Miami did go the Final Four, but lost just about every major contributor, so the Canes are sure to take a step back this season. Kentucky just took a big step in fortifying its roster with the addition of West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell, so the Wildcats look much better than they did a week ago. Still wanted Duke-Kentucky, though.
2. Tennessee at North Carolina (Nov. 29, 7:15 p.m.)
This is a big game for sure. Both of these teams are playing a very tough non-conference schedule and this just adds fuel to the fire. Lots of individual matchups will be fun to watch. Armando Bacot vs Jonas Aidoo, as will the point guard matchup between Zakai Zeigler and Elliot Cadeau. One of the better games in the first month of the year.
- Duke at Arkansas (Nov. 29, 9:15 p.m.)
Bud Walton Arena might need a new roof after this game. This will be one of the most highly anticipated games across the country in the first month of the season. On top of that, this is probably the toughest true road non-conference game that Duke has played since going to play at Michigan State in 2019. The stars will be out for this high-level game and it’s a real must-watch.
AJ Hoops 