JONESBORO, Ark. (7/1/25) – The Mid-American Conference and Sun Belt Conference revealed matchups for the first round of the 2025-26 MAC-SBC Challenge on Tuesday, with all games set to take place on Monday, Nov. 3.
The A-State women’s team – led by fourth-year head coach Destinee Rogers – hosts Ball State inside First National Bank Arena, while first-year head coach Ryan Pannone and the A-State men’s squad travel to Ohio for a showdown in the Convocation Center.
The reigning Sun Belt Conference Tournament champions defeated the Cardinals 74-72 in their lone meeting at the 2001 Loyola Marymount Thanksgiving Classic. The A-State men – coming off their first Sun Belt Conference regular season title since 1998 – last faced the Bobcats in the 2023-24 MAC-SBC Challenge, claiming a 100-87 victory to even the all-time series at 1-1.
In 2024-25, the conferences evenly split 24 games on the men’s side while the MAC claimed a 15-9 advantage on the women’s side. A-State’s men claimed an 80-75 overtime victory over Akron before dropping a 75-76 decision at Kent State while the women dropped matchups against Western Michigan (52-61) and Bowling Green (73-75).
The Sun Belt men and MAC women’s teams will host February matchups, which will be determined in January.
Complete non-conference and conference schedules for A-State men’s and women’s basketball will be released at a later date. Season tickets are available for purchase at AStateRedWolves.com/tickets or by calling (870) 972-ASU1.
MAC-SBC Challenge Men’s Basketball Matchups
App State at Central Michigan
Arkansas State at Ohio
Coastal Carolina at Western Michigan
Georgia State at Eastern Michigan
James Madison at Akron
Louisiana at Ball State
ULM at Northern Illinois
Marshall at UMass
Old Dominion at Miami (Ohio)
Southern Miss at Buffalo
South Alabama at Toledo
Texas State at Bowling Green
Troy at Kent State
MAC-SBC Challenge Women’s Basketball Matchups
Western Michigan at App State
Ball State at Arkansas State
Miami (Ohio) at Coastal Carolina
Central Michigan at Georgia Southern
Kent State at James Madison
Bowling Green at Louisiana
Eastern Michigan at ULM
Buffalo at Marshall
UMass at Old Dominion
Akron at South Alabama
Northern Illinois at Southern Miss
Ohio at Texas State
Toledo at Troy
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A-State Basketball Set for First Round of MAC-SBC Challenge. Article may or may not reflect the views of KLEK 102.5 FM or The Voice of Arkansas Minority Advocacy Council
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