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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
The matchups for the second annual ACC/SEC Challenge were announced Wednesday, highlighted by Auburn‘s trip to Duke and North Carolina hosting Alabama.
The first edition of the series between the two conferences ended in a 7-7 tie last season, with Arkansas upsetting Duke to complete the SEC’s comeback from a 7-4 deficit.
Auburn-Duke and Alabama-North Carolina — both matchups between top-15 teams — are scheduled for Dec. 4.
Auburn is ranked No. 11 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25, while Duke slots in at No. 8. The Tigers are led by preseason All-American Johni Broome and landed a pair of impact transfers from the portal in JP Pegues (Furman) and Miles Kelly (Georgia Tech).
Duke brings in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, headlined by projected No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg.
Alabama vs. North Carolina is a rematch of last season’s NCAA tournament Sweet 16 matchup, which the Crimson Tide won before advancing to the Final Four. Mark Sears‘ decision to withdraw from the NBA draft vaulted Nate Oats’ team to No. 2 in the Way-Too-Early rankings, and North Carolina sits at No. 10 following the return of Wooden Award candidate RJ Davis.
Other intriguing matchups include John Calipari, wearing the cardinal red of Arkansas instead of the blue of Kentucky, taking his Razorbacks to Coral Gables to face Miami; new Kentucky coach Mark Pope and the Wildcats traveling to Clemson, which is coming off an Elite Eight appearance; and new Louisville coach Pat Kelsey hosting an Ole Miss team that should be ranked in the top 25.
Times and television designations are yet to be announced.
Full listing of ACC/SEC Challenge matchups:
Tuesday, Dec. 3
South Carolina at Boston College
Kentucky at Clemson
Florida State at LSU
Georgia Tech at Oklahoma
Ole Miss at Louisville
Arkansas at Miami
Wednesday, Dec. 4
Auburn at Duke
Alabama at North Carolina