ACC/SEC Challenge begins. Here’s the full schedule, which includes UK but not Louisville.

College basketball’s first ACC/SEC Challenge tips off Tuesday night and continues through Wednesday.

The 14-game affair replaces the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. When ESPN lost the Big Ten TV contract, the network decided to substitute the SEC for the Big Ten in the matchup with the ACC.

Tuesday night’s top game features No. 8 Miami at No. 12 Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. Coming off a Final Four appearance last season, Miami is 5-0 and leads the nation in three-point shooting. Kentucky is 5-1, with its only loss coming to Kansas in the Champions Classic on Nov. 14.

Ben Roberts breaks down UK vs. Miami on “Inside the U” podcast

Wednesday’s marquee matchup has No. 10 Tennessee at No. 17 North Carolina at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN. Tennessee is 4-2 after losing to Purdue and Kansas in the Maui Invitational. North Carolina’s only loss was in overtime to Villanova in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Because the SEC has 14 schools and the ACC has 15, one ACC team had to be left out of the inaugural Challenge. That team was the Louisville Cardinals, who finished last in their conference last season.

Here’s the full television schedule of games for the ACC/SEC Challenge:

This story was originally published November 28, 2023 at 9:09 AM.

John Clay

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-472-4218

John Clay is a sports columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Central Kentucky, he covered UK football from 1987 until being named sports columnist in 2000. He has covered 20 Final Fours and 42 consecutive Kentucky Derbys. Support my work with a digital subscription