UNC Basketball: The End to the ACC/Big Ten Challenge

After a 23-year run, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge will be replaced starting in 2023 and will be replaced with a new yearly event.

This week, the UNC basketball program will compete against Indiana in the final ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

As first reported by Andy Katz, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge will conclude this week after a 23-year run, while the Big 12/SEC Challenge will also be replaced after being held for 10 consecutive seasons.

With the change, ESPN also announced that they will be implementing a new format for both men’s and women’s basketball, as the Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference will compete in an ACC/SEC Challenge beginning during the 2023-2024 season.

This should be a nice change for the UNC basketball program, as Tar Heel fans will get to see both the men’s and women’s teams compete against some of the best teams the SEC has to offer.

"“We look forward to showcasing the talented men’s and women’s programs throughout the ACC and SEC in the years ahead through this exciting new collaboration with both conferences,” said Nick Dawson, ESPN Vice President, Programming. “Since establishing the very first interconference challenge in 1999, these events have been a staple of our college basketball schedule for more than two decades. We thank both the Big Ten and Big 12 for their partnership in the final year of our existing events and look forward to finding more ways to creatively partner with both conferences in 2023-24 and beyond.”"

To see the official press release of the announcement, click here.

The UNC basketball program will close out the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday night, as they take a trip to Indiana for a 9:15 PM EST contest.

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