A marquee event for the upcoming season
ESPN has released the schedule for the fourth annual SEC/ACC Women’s Basketball Challenge, confirming that 16 games will be played over two days in December 2026. Every contest will be carried on ESPN’s television and streaming platforms, including the ACC Network and the SEC Network.
The lineup features several top‑10 showdowns, with South Carolina opening the tournament as the No. 1 team in ESPN’s Way‑Too‑Early Top 25, while Duke sits at No. 3, Texas at No. 8 and Louisville at No. 7. Additional high‑profile pairings include LSU versus Duke and North Carolina versus an unnamed opponent, rounding out a deep field of contenders.
Rankings and expectations
The 2025 edition of the challenge attracted a 27% increase in viewership compared with the prior year, underscoring growing appetite for women’s college basketball. The most‑watched games last season were South Carolina versus Louisville, which drew 598,000 viewers, and LSU versus Duke, which attracted 549,000.
Beyond the numbers, the event serves as a barometer for the strength of the conferences and a showcase for programs that are expected to contend for national titles. Fans can anticipate competitive games that will likely influence the early season rankings and provide a national audience with a first look at the talent on display.