Every win counts. While the SEC got more than its fair share of teams into the NCAA Tournament last year, the league had a team that was crowned national champions. Rather than spend any more time on what the Florida Gators did in March and April let's take a look to the season ahead. The Georgia Bulldogs were able to get back into the NCAA Tournament after a decade-long absence last season.
With a strong chance of making it back this year as well, it should be noted that Georgia garnered a big lead heading into the new year because of its great play in the non-conference. It did enough in SEC play to merit making the tournament, but a hot start to the season gave the Bulldogs some much needed leeway. They got a great draw in the ACC/SEC Challenge in being paired with Florida State.
Here is who will be playing each other in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Tuesday, Dec. 2 this season.
- Tennessee Volunteers at Syracuse Orange: 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
- Texas A&M Aggies at Pittsburgh Panthers: 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
- Virginia Tech Hokies at South Carolina Gamecocks: 7:00 p.m. ET (SECN)
- Oklahoma Sooners at Wake Forest Demon Deacons: 7:00 p.m. ET (ACCN)
- Florida Gators at Duke Blue Devils: 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Missouri Tigers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 9:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
- Miami Hurricanes at Ole Miss Rebels: 9:00 p.m. ET (SECN)
- Georgia Bulldogs at Florida State Seminoles: 9:00 p.m. ET (ACCN)
- North Carolina Tar Heels at Kentucky Wildcats: 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
And here is who will be playing each other in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Wednesday, Dec. 3 this year.
- Louisville Cardinals at Arkansas Razorbacks: 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Clemson Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide: 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
- LSU Tigers at Boston College Eagles: 7:00 p.m. ET (ACCN)
- North Carolina State Wolfpack at Auburn Tigers: 9:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Virginia Cavaliers at Texas Longhorns: 9:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
- SMU Mustangs at Vanderbilt Commodores: 9:00 p.m. ET (SECN)
- Mississippi State Bulldogs at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: 9:00 p.m. ET (ACCN)
For those who want a visual representation of what the schedule looks like, the ACC has you covered.
ACC/SEC Challenge Game Times and Networks announced. pic.twitter.com/iuHq43lPpq
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) September 24, 2025
The only two ACC teams not taking part in this ACC/SEC Challenge would be California and Stanford.
Why Georgia drawing Florida State is a huge win for the non-conference
Over the last two decades, Georgia has sporadically made the tournament every once in a while. The team finally broke through under Mike White's watch last year. On the other side of the coin, the Seminoles just went through a bad four-year stretch in the decline of Leonard Hamilton's once-promising program. Florida State has not made the NCAA Tournament in about half a decade now.
Taking over for the iconic Hamilton is one of their own in Luke Loucks, who played guard in Tallahassee from 2008 to 2012. Firmly in his mid-30s, Loucks is aiming to make his alma mater's basketball program like it had been previously. As it is with everything, these sort of things take time. White is entering year four at Georgia, while this will be the first year for Loucks back in Tallahassee.
The other huge thing working for Georgia here is the game will be played on the road. It is a great opportunity for White's team to learn how to win on the road before conference play kicks in. A win on the road does wonders for the Dawgs' chances of making the NCAA Tournament again. The other huge thing is falling on the road is not as bad as stumbling at home to a struggling conference foe.
Georgia should be grateful to not be playing in Durham, Raleigh or anywhere across North Carolina.