Report: Matchups set for 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge in basketball

The 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge in basketball has been set, according to a report by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. The annual challenge is now going into its third year.

The inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge (2023) led to a 7-7 tie, but last year’s Challenge (2024) was dominated by the SEC 14-2. The ACC’s two wins were Clemson over Kentucky and Duke over Auburn.

This year’s matchups include eight of last year’s 16 teams from the Sweet Sixteen and 18 teams that made the NCAA Tournament.

2025 ACC/SEC Challenge Matchups

Florida at Duke
North Carolina at Kentucky
Virginia at Texas
NC State at Auburn
Clemson at Alabama
Louisville at Arkansas
Oklahoma at Wake Forest
SMU at Vanderbilt
Texas A&M at Pittsburgh
Mississippi State at Georgia Tech
Miami at Ole Miss
LSU at Boston College
Virginia Tech at South Carolina
Tennessee at Syracuse
Missouri at Notre Dame
Georgia at Florida State

This year’s Challenge is highlighted by Florida at Duke, North Carolina at Kentucky and Louisville at Arkansas.

Florida and Duke were two of four No. 1 seeds that made the Final Four last season, marking just the second time in NCAA Tournament history (2008) that all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four. Florida defeated Auburn in the Final Four and went on to beat Houston 65-63 in the National Championship game. Duke fell to Houston 70-67 in the Final Four after blowing a nine-point lead with three minutes remaining.

Kentucky and North Carolina will mark a battle of the blue bloods, as the ‘Cats are second all-time with 2,412 wins and the Tar Heels are third all-time with 2,395 wins. These two historical programs have not played at Rupp Arena since 2015, when the eventual 38-1 Wildcats took down the Heels 84-70.

Finally, Louisville vs. Arkansas will mark some interesting coaching matchups. Former Kentucky head coach John Calipari will coach against his former rival Louisville for the first time since 2024. As head coach at Kentucky, Calipari was 13-3 against the Cardinals. Arkansas assistant coach Kenny Payne will also face his former team, where he won a National Championship in 1986 and coached from 2022-24. Under Payne, Louisville went just 12-52 in two seasons before he was let go.

Other intriguing matchups include 2025 Final Four runner-ups Auburn against NC State and first-year head coach Will Wade, a historical football rivalry between Alabama and Clemson and first-year head coach Ryan Odom at Virginia against first-year head coach Sean Miller at Texas.