Jonesboro, AR — (Contributed) — July 1, 2025 — 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 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 here 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