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CLEVELAND — The MAC-SBC Challenge -- a scheduling alliance in the sports of men's and women's basketball -- will kick off during the opening week of the 2023-24 season this November with 12 Mid-American Conference (MAC) men's basketball programs hosting 12 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) teams, while the 12 MAC women's basketball programs will visit 12 SBC teams. The Ohio men's basketball team will open the season on Wednesday, Nov. 8 against Troy in Athens, while the Ohio women's basketball team will face off with App State on the road on Saturday, Nov. 11.
The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest for each team will take place on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, with the matchups based on real-time NET rankings and announced in January. The MAC women and Sun Belt men will host the February matchups.
Each MAC and Sun Belt team included in the MAC-SBC Challenge, currently scheduled to take place during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, is guaranteed one home and one away game each season.
Scheduling assistance is provided by Ordinal Sports Group. In addition to relevant NET data, geography and frequency of past contests are considered in determining the matchups.
Each MAC-SBC Challenge game will be carried on an ESPN platform.
MAC-SBC Challenge Women's Basketball Matchups
Wednesday, Nov. 8
Toledo at James Madison
Thursday, Nov. 9
Northern Illinois at Arkansas State
Central Michigan at South Alabama
Friday, Nov. 10
Western Michigan at Georgia State
Saturday, Nov. 11
Ball State at Troy
Eastern Michigan at Georgia Southern
Akron at Southern Miss
Buffalo at Old Dominion
Bowling Green at Texas State
Ohio at App State
Miami at ULM
Sunday, Nov. 12
Kent State at Louisiana
MAC-SBC Challenge Men's Basketball Matchups
Wednesday, Nov. 8
Troy at Ohio
Thursday, Nov. 9
James Madison at Kent State
Saturday, Nov. 11
Southern Miss at Akron
Louisiana at Toledo
Old Dominion at Ball State
South Alabama at Buffalo
Arkansas State at Bowling Green
App State at Northern Illinois
Texas State at Miami
Georgia Southern at Eastern Michigan
Georgia State at Western Michigan
ULM at Central Michigan
#OUohyeah
