"UNC is so done for" "This will be cinema": Fans react as ACC/SEC challenge set to shake up non-conference schedule with big time matchups

Fans reacted as the ACC/SEC Challenge schedule for the 2025-26 season features 10 AP Top 25 teams, including UNC, Duke, Auburn, Arkansas and the reigning champions. The schedule opens with the Blue Devils taking on the University of Florida. The 15 other in-season series games involve four matchups with one AP team and two with as many ranked schools.

One of the participating programs will host the non-conference games and typically alternate between home and away courts every successive season. The dates of the matchups are yet to be announced, though.

Here's the complete picture for the 2025-26 ACC/SEC Challenge with their respective AP rankings:

Florida (No. 1) @ Duke (No. 3)
North Carolina @ Kentucky
Virginia @ Texas
NC State @ Auburn (No. 4)
Clemson (No. 22) @ Alabama (No. 6)
Louisville (No. 21) @ Arkansas (No. 20)
Oklahoma @ Wake Forest
SMU @ Vanderbilt
Texas A&M (No. 19) @ Pittsburgh
Mississippi State (No. 14) @ Georgia Tech
Miami @ Ole Miss
LSU @ Boston College
Virginia Tech @ South Carolina
Tennessee (No. 5) @ Syracuse
Mizzouri @Notre Dame
UGA @ Florida State University

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CBS journalist Jon Rothstein updated the same on X, and fans reacted.

"@AuburnMBBwins the SEC regular season title, but UK gets UNC at home. Okay then . . .," one wrote.

"How did Duke get 2 home games in a row," another added.

"UNC is so done for. CW about to see what a real coach looks like," one commented.

More fans reacted to the matchups and the teams involved:

"Louisville @ Arkansas... John Calipari just can't get away from the state of Kentucky 😭," one wrote.

"Everybody from top of ACC on road other than duke," another added.

"This will be cinema," one commented.

UNC will play in Lexington after a decade

North Carolina-Kentucky games are one of the top battles of the blue-blood schools in men's college basketball, occurring almost every other year. However, all their matchups in the last 10 years have been at neutral venues (CBS Sports Classic), with one Elite Eight contest. The Wildcats have a 4-2 record during the stretch.

UNC's Carolina's 2025-26 ACC/SEC Challenge against Mark Pope's squad will be its first game in Lexington since 2014. It will be the third season of the Tar Heels in the annual challenge, but the first where it plays on the road.

North Carolina won its first game against Tennessee, 100–92, in 2023 and lost 94-79 in the 2024-25 season matchup against Alabama,

About the author

An NBA writer turning to basketball grassroots, Saahil Dhillan covers the ever-changing world of college hoops for Sportskeeda. Alongside insightful analysis, thought-provoking opinions and live-game reporting, Saahil will break down on and off court plays of NCAA basketball.

Saahil's extensive writing background stems from his love for sports and production collaborations with national-level athletes and coaches across multiple sports, giving him a deeper understanding of athletes' mindsets and the humane side of athletic performance.

Among his favorite stories are Derrick Rose's continued perseverance and Kobe Bryant's mental shift after mounting four straight airballs in the 1997 Conference semifinals. On the collegiate level, Saahil is particularly stirred by Mike Krzyzewski's stint at Team USA and is keen to document Cooper Flagg's journey to the big league.

When not reporting, Saahil is chasing his pets, sunsets and his next pasta recipe; sometimes all three at once.

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Edited by Bhargav