Busting Brackets

The ACC/SEC Challenge has gone on for three years now, with the SEC having two wins compared to zero for the ACC (tied in 2023). Thanks to conference expansion, there are now 16 matchups in this series. As a result two ACC programs will be left out. From the listings of the 2026 series, SMU and Cal have been left out, which is a blow to the ACC, considering that those two teams finished in the top-12 of the conference standings last year.

Every year, the ACC/SEC Challenge produces a few games that immediately jump off the schedule, and this year Texas at Louisville belongs near the top of that list. While Duke-Florida and Arkansas-North Carolina will draw plenty of headlines, this matchup might be the one that has the biggest impact on the national conversation by the time December arrives.

College basketball fans spend every offseason obsessing who deserves to be ranked No. 1 heading into a new season. This year, two programs have separated themselves from the rest of the field. Florida enters the season as the defending national champion with one of the most experienced rosters in the country, while Duke once again looks loaded with NBA talent and championship expectations. Thanks to the ACC/SEC Challenge, fans won't have to wait until March to see them collide.

We present... Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Tounde Yessoufou (24) dunks the ball ahead of Utah Utes guard Obomate Abbey (21) during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.

When the SEC/ACC Challenge schedule is officially released, plenty of eyes will naturally drift toward the Duke, Kentucky and UConn-level matchups that dominate headlines. But one game may have just stolen the spotlight. According to reports, Arkansas will travel to Chapel Hill on Dec. 1 to face North Carolina in one of the most fascinating nonconference games of the 2026-27 season. On the surface, it's simply another SEC vs. ACC showdown.

College basketball fans were excited when Duke and Michigan agreed to meet at Madison Square Garden next season. Two blue-blood programs. Two national title contenders. One of the sport's most iconic venues. Now, that game is reportedly headed somewhere few people expected: an MLB stadium in South Florida. According to reports, Duke and Michigan are expected to move their Dec. 21 showdown from New York City to loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. Thinking about it, it feels strange.

For months, every conversation about Aden Holloway's future started with the same obstacle. Not basketball. Not the transfer portal. Not roster construction. The legal process. Now, Alabama basketball finally has some clarity. According to court records, Holloway has entered a second-chance program related to two drug charges. If he successfully completes the program requirements, the charges involved in the agreement will be dismissed and he would avoid a conviction.

Some losses stay with a program long after the final buzzer. Not because they end a season. Not because they prevent a championship. But because they leave everyone wondering what happened. That's what Arizona did to Arkansas in the Sweet 16. The Wildcats didn't simply beat the Razorbacks on their way to the Final Four.

Kansas basketball has never been afraid of a challenge under Bill Self. In fact, the Jayhawks have built much of their identity around seeking out the biggest games, the toughest venues, and the strongest opponents possible. But even by Kansas standards, the newly announced 2026-27 non-conference schedule feels different. This isn't just a collection of marquee games. This is a two-month gauntlet that could look remarkably similar to the path a team faces during the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky. UConn.

It’s been two efficient months for SEC Basketball in terms of roster building. In the last couple of weeks alone, several teams received good news as key players returned from the NBA Draft process. One of them was Milan Momcilovic, who was a transfer from Iowa State and the best available player in the portal. He not only returned to college basketball but is also set to join the Kentucky Wildcats for the 2026-27 season. Where does Momcilovic stand among the top incoming transfers in the SEC?