2026‑27 MAC‑Sun Belt Challenge: First Matchups Unveiled
The Mid-American Conference and the Sun Belt Conference have unveiled the opening slate of the 2026‑27 MAC‑Sun Belt Challenge, a cross‑conference series that pits selected teams from each league against one another for the first time in the upcoming season.
Games are slated to begin on Monday, November 2, 2026, with Western Michigan’s women’s basketball program hosting Coastal Carolina at the university’s home arena, while the Broncos’ men’s team will travel to face Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia.
Both matchups represent the first-ever meetings between the respective programs, adding a fresh narrative to the challenge, which last year saw the women’s squads split their series 13‑13 and the men’s teams trade a 14‑12 edge in favor of the Sun Belt.
For the Western Michigan men, the trip to Old Dominion will also mark the regular‑season debut of new head coach Kahil Fennell, who takes over after a brief interim period and brings a new coaching philosophy to the program.
The second wave of contests is scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2027, and the remaining pairings for the challenge will be announced in January, promising additional storylines as the season progresses.